The Livin' is Easy

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation. (Genesis 2:1-3 ESV).

After yesterday’s devotional, I had another thought. It took me down some historically older paths in the entertainment arena. "Summertime" is actually an aria composed in 1934 by George Gershwin for the 1935 opera, Porgy and Bess. The lyrics are by Dubose Heyward, the author of the novel Porgy on which the opera was based. The song soon became a popular and much recorded jazz standard which was later recorded by Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald (You may listen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHAfhPrrKHA). The song declares, “Summertime, and the livin’ is easy”. I am sure it was written when life was much different than what it is now. If you’re like most people, you are hoping that summer will be a time to kick back and relax a little, but maybe you’re afraid that it will end up like most other summers with lots to do and flying past far too quickly. But while we may bemoan the fast pace of summer with all of its chores, the packing and unpacking for vacations, and repeated trips to all the ball games for our children or grandchildren, it might be good to stop and think about “easy living.” So, let me give you some perspective from the Scripture about the importance of rest. Our reading notes that God Himself rested after six days of creating the universe. Knowing that time to rest was important for the people He created, God instituted the Sabbath so that we would get the point that no one can work without a break along the way. Tanks that run on “weary” all the time soon lack the stamina to do well spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and relationally. Even Jesus, with more sermons to preach, more people to heal, and more tasks to accomplish for His Father, often went apart to rest a while. I am not sure why it is that some of us feel guilty or unfulfilled if we are not busy all the time. It’s important to realize that not everything needs to be done, at least not done right now. It may be more important to sit back with a tall glass of iced tea and contemplate the beauty of nature and the greatness of our God who is as faithful to us as the dependability of the seasons. I hope you will carve out a little easy livin’ time this week and refresh your heart and spirit with blessedness instead of business. And don’t worry; the chores will still be there. They aren’t going anywhere!