Work and Rest

I work, not because my value is to produce, but because my joy is to create.

I rest, not because I am pushed to exhaustion, but because I am designed for respite. 

I work, not to prove my worthiness, but to celebrate my extraordinary capability as a human being.

I rest, not as a failure of my capacity, but as a grateful acknowledgement of my limits as a human being.

I work, not to numb myself with stress and striving, but to participate in the vocation of living. 

I rest, not to numb myself with transient pleasures, but to surround myself with abiding beauty. 

I work, not because I owe it to God, but because He has trusted me to steward His creation.  

I rest, not because my stewardship is flawed, but because I am also a creature.

I work, not to forge a false identity, but to embrace my true reality. 

I rest, not in a posture of lethargy and apathy, but in a posture of leisure and worship. 

I work, not because I must strain against scarcity, but because I may partake of abundance.

I rest, not because I am ill and weary, but because I am becoming whole. 

I work, to fully embrace this precious, mysterious, sacred gift of life.

I rest, to contemplate the wonder of the glorious life to come. 

I work and rest, to honor both the example and the commands of my Creator. 

I work and rest, as an embodiment of Christ in me. 

Work, and rest.

Work, and rest.

Work, and rest, to the rhythm of the God who longs for the wholeness of His people. 

Author: Melody Farrell

Melody Farrell is the co-founder and acquisitions editor of Lost Poet Press. She also serves as co-pastor of Element Church Tampa and operations manager of Echo Media Group. She is associate director of Circle A Ranch, a program which teaches teenagers principles of leadership. She serves on the board of Grow Into You Foundation, a non-profit that provides coaching, mentoring, and housing for teens aging out of the foster care system. She is a wife, podcaster, musician, and mother of two from Sarasota, Florida.