Servant Leader, how often do we celebrate the end of the work week? (Every week?) We do it with near religious fervor, refusing to schedule meetings at the end of the day on a Friday, working long on Monday through Thursday so we can cut out early on Friday, making plans to beat the traffic.
What if I told you the "weekend" wasn't supposed to be your savior?
As you know, eleven days ago I began what has become a bit of a sabbatical. Last week was Thanksgiving, so I focused on being thankful and spending time with family. The first part of this week has been dedicated to catching up on home renovations and chores. Most days I ask my wife, "What day is it?" or I remind myself, "Today is not Sunday."
That's telling, Servant Leader. Prior to eleven days ago, my entire existence revolved around the corporate work week. It doesn't matter that I've been working remotely for nearly 13 years. My sense of time for more than a decade has been trained to serve the corporate clock - work-life-balance was an empty promise, an excuse to work long and disappoint my family one more time.
But after eleven days unemployed, after eleven days of realigning my priorities and recharging my batteries, I have to admit there's a better way to manage the corporate clock.
In Exodus, God instructs Moses on the Law of the Sabbaths: the Sabbath Day and the Sabbath Year.
“Six years you shall sow your land and gather in its produce, but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave, the beasts of the field may eat. In like manner you shall do with your vineyard and your olive grove. Six days you shall do your work, and on the seventh day you shall rest, that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your female servant and the stranger may be refreshed. (Exod 23:10-12, NKJV)
Why is the Sabbath important to business? Why is it not anathema?
Because, Servant Leader, God knows the value of real rest. He rested on the seventh day after creating...everything. Ask a farmer what happens to his yield if he constantly tends his crops. Ask a truck driver what happens if she runs her rig unceasingly. Ask a pilot what happens if they don't cycle planes through a rigorous maintenance routine. Why is the GovCon industry any different?
So, the next time you approach a Friday ask yourself, "Am I taking a Sabbath?" If the answer is "yes" then you're better than most of us. But if the answer is "no," maybe you should read Exodus 23 and understand from the context of the chapter just how important real rest is, Servant Leader.
Happy Friday!
