Read Ephesians 5:1–2

Following the sixth day of creation, the Lord God deliberately stopped working. He rested. It wasn’t that there was nothing else He could have done. It certainly wasn’t because He was exhausted. Omnipotence never gets tired! He hadn’t run out of ideas, for omniscience knows no mental limitations. He could easily have made more worlds, created an infinite number of other forms of life, and created multiple millions of galaxies beyond what He did.

But He didn’t. He stopped. He deliberately stopped working and started resting.

The creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed. On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation. (Genesis 2:1–3)

Scripture teaches that we ought to emulate God in all things. Paul writes:

Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loves us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. (Ephesians 5:1–2)

I’ve never regretted reviewing the priorities of my life to make certain I’m leaving time for relaxation and laughter—for filling my days with time spent with my children and grandchildren and of course my sweet wife, my favourite person on earth.

As it did for Jesus, that type of relaxed living requires sacrifice. But the rewards and returns are eternal. Take it from a slow learner...you’ll never regret powering down, taking deep breaths, long walks, and having episodes of roaring laughter so hard and long your sides hurt. Go ahead. Let loose and live.

Devotional content taken from Good Morning, Lord...Can We Talk? by Charles R. Swindoll. Copyright © 2018. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries. All rights reserved.

The full devotional can be purchased at https://www.tyndale.com/p/good-morning-lord-can-we-talk/9781414380681.