One Hand Full of Rest (Ecclesiastes 4:6)

“Hey! Get out of the fast lane!” “Move over and get out of my way!” We live in a world that is so busy, so fast-paced and always in a hurry. Many are driven to go, go, go. As the song says, “I’m in a hurry and don’t know why.”

People in Solomon’s day were in a hurry, too. When Solomon talked of two clinched fists, he described a person who is a workaholic, one who works incessantly to gather as much as humanly possible.

A good work ethic is honorable (1 Thessalonians 4:11; Colossians 3:23). However, Solomon was talking about balance. God knew we needed rest. In the Old Testament Law, He instituted a day of rest (Exodus 20:9-11).

So, let us work hard, but let us also acquire balance. Give yourself a break. Take time off—for self and for family. Make sure you have one hand that is full—not full of money, work and strife—but a hand full of rest. You won’t regret it.