Human beings are called to use their time wisely in work and love together.
But the book of Genesis shows us, too, that the call to enter into communion with others does not stop at our relationships with other human beings; we are called above all to enter into communion or relationship with God.
Thus, the seventh day, with its theme of rest, marks out the highest moment in the first creation account: all of creation is called to rest on the seventh day, to love and to worship God.
In Genesis, we read: “On the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done.
So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation” (Genesis 2:2–3).
The seventh day alone is called holy, “hallowed,” which means literally, “set apart.”
The seventh day is set apart to be a day of rest, a day of entering into the eternal rest of God through prayer, worship, and leisure.
If “the seventh day” is to be “set apart,” we must wisely use this time to rest and to enter into communion with the Lord—on Sundays, to be sure, but also throughout the week.
In a culture that sometimes forms men to be workaholics, it takes strength to manfully resist this temptation and to set aside time for higher things: prayer, friendship, worship, learning, beauty, and leisure.
Prayer lies at the foundation of the Christian man’s existence.
Without prayer, there is no Christian life.
Thus, in addition to our Sunday rest— which is a kind of expression, continuation, and culmination of prayer— a regular habit of prayer is indispensable.
This is fairly common knowledge, but seeing it anew in the context of stewardship of time can provide additional motivation: we are called to steward our time well, and for the Christian, this will mean above all allocating time for the “one thing needed” (see Luke 10:42)— our time in prayer, sitting at the Lord’s feet and receiving his love.
Take action today, even right now, to sit at the Lord’s feet in prayer and judge your own stewardship of your time with respect to prayer.
If the desire for prayer isn’t what it should be, ask the Lord to increase in you that desire, to inspire new commitment, and to give you the courage necessary to follow through.
