Issue #11
Do you feel like everything and everyone depends on you?
I recently spoke with an executive who oversees 16,000 people and runs about 80% of a company. He’s never taken a single day off. He worked 12 hours last Saturday and apologized that he could give me only half his attention because of work emergencies.
He’s not alone. For executives, founders, and CEOs, overwork can become a badge of honor. We worry that slowing down means someone else gets ahead, work piles up, or opportunities missed.
But what if our inability to stop is really a question of trust?
The Bible doesn’t present rest as optional wellness. God commanded His people to observe the Sabbath, setting apart every seventh day for rest (Exodus 20:8–11).
We see this in Exodus 16. God provided manna and told the Israelites to gather only what they needed each day. Some gathered extra, fearing God would not provide the next day, and it spoiled. But on the sixth day, God told them to gather twice as much for the Sabbath. This time, the extra didn’t spoil. Still, some went looking on the seventh day and found nothing.
God was teaching His people to trust Him. They didn’t need to scramble every day to secure their future. He would provide. Sabbath is so important that it is in the Ten Commandments. Therefore, Sabbath is both obedience and trust.
That can be especially difficult for leaders. Can we trust God to sustain our work, protect our future, and provide for our needs when we stop for one day?
Modern science is catching up with what Scripture commanded thousands of years ago. A 1922 JAMA study found that a weekly day off helped workers recover from strenuous work. More recent research confirms that regular rest benefits both the body and the mind.
By contrast, the World Health Organization and International Labour Organization found that working 55 or more hours a week carries a 35% higher risk of stroke and a 17% higher risk of dying from heart disease, versus a standard 35 to 40-hour week.
Chronic overwork also wears down the capacities leaders depend on: clear thinking, sound judgment, emotional regulation, and resistance to impulsive decisions. And when a leader is always present, others have fewer opportunities to learn and grow.
Maybe you’ve just returned from a summer or winter break. Good. We need longer periods of rest. But a vacation every six or twelve months cannot replace a weekly rhythm of rest. We don’t eat once or twice a year and expect our bodies to last until the next meal. We need regular nourishment. We need regular rest.
So what might a weekly Sabbath look like?
It may look different each week, but the goal is the same: step away from work to rest your body and mind. Sleep. Take a walk. Turn off notifications and put your phone down. Pray, worship, read Scripture. Share an unhurried meal, spend time with people you love, enjoy nature, create something, or simply be still.
Don’t turn Sabbath into another productivity checklist. The point isn’t to optimize your day off. It’s to stop and trust that God will provide.
Do you trust Him enough to rest?
p.s. One of the reasons I started Kingdom Factor Cohort (KFC) is to give Christian business leaders a place to slow down, reflect, pray, and wrestle with the realities of leadership alongside others who understand. If you’re looking for that kind of community, I’d love to have you join us. Learn more about KFC here.