Fed Up, Overworked, Unappreciated? Take a Nap

Elijah had had it. He had preached faithfully to Israel and made a lot of enemies in the process. In fact, the Queen Jezebel put a contract out on his life. Fed up, he prayed, Just take me now. He was ready to lay down and die [1 Kings 19].

Been there, Elijah, been there. Well, not with a contract on my back. But fed up, feeling overworked and unappreciated, ready to die.

If you're angry, take a nap. That is basic mental health advice and exactly what Elijah did. He fell asleep under the broom tree. He woke up to a snack prepared by an angel. He slept again. When he woke again, the angel fed him again. He got up and got back to work.

The fourth commandment is to keep holy the Lord's day. How do you keep it holy? The biblical instructions are to refrain from work and to refrain from requiring others to work. I have heard that when asked which commandments they break, people pick that one most often. Ironically, breaking the fourth commandment is treated as virtue in the United States. Even, alas, among some clergy colleagues who complain/brag about how long it's been since they took a day off.

Even God rested. God put in a hard six days labor creating the world. And then God took the day off. Good thing, or we'd all be in trouble, don't you think?