The Artist & The Gospel: Rest

Related Texts: Genesis 2:1-3; Exodus 20:8-10; Psalm 23, 55:6; Mark 6:32; Matthew 11:28-30

AUTHOR’S NOTE: This is the sixth of a multi-part series entitled “The Artist & The Gospel” where we will discuss what it means to be a “Christian Artist” who is sold out to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and wants their art to reflect their faith. You can read the previous installments by choosing the appropriate link below:
Part 1 // Created to Create
Part 2 // Deflecting Glory
Part 3 // Gospel-Infused Art
Part 4 // Mission-Oriented Art
Part 5 // The Easter Story
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I tend to run myself on empty a lot. Between being a husband, father, friend, creative, entrepreneur, servant, and many more things, I keep my schedule pretty full. My mom has a saying that goes something like “when you get sick, that’s God’s way of telling you to slow down and rest.” I know there’s more to getting sick than just overworking your body (sometimes underworking your body is the problem!) and there’s much to be said about germs and being wise about the environments you place yourself in. However, there’s plenty of wisdom in simply slowing down and resting that affects our physical, emotional, and spiritual health.

We could go as specific as sleeping, or as broad as simply “not working”, but everybody knows they should get at least 6 hours of sleep a night as adults and everyone agrees that vacations are necessary. Even I, as a self-diagnosed workaholic, know that I need to turn off the computer when my family goes camping together. The trouble and struggle is in the middle. How do we rest in our day-to-day lives? How do we, as artists, walk the line of creating as work and creating as rest? Before we get into the specifics of being “restful” artists and Christians, let’s dive into the very first example of rest that we find in the Bible:

“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)

First off, did you notice how many workdays God had? He didn’t have a two day weekend. The Creator of the universe worked for six days and rested for one. I think this is an important detail to make note of, because in the developed world we have the benefit of five-day workweeks. If we are seeking to emulate God’s example, we have a whole extra day to do other work that we may or may not be paid for. This would be the day to mow the lawn or go to the dentist… or both! Take advantage of the bonus day you might have to work so that you can take full advantage of your day to rest!

Second, we have no idea what God looked like resting in His example for us. Did the God of the Universe, the Creator of all Creation go and take a nap? Did he go watch a movie? Maybe he binge-watched “Parks & Recreation” on Netflix. Could He have simply taken the time to walk through His new creation, just enjoying it without looking to enhance or edit it? There’s no real evidence anywhere (He really could have been binge-watching Netflix if He wanted to, you know) so it’s all speculation. With no clear directives or specificity there is room for interpretation on how this time was designed for us.

Now, with those ambiguities all but clarified, we do have one glaring fact from this passage: God did rest. Resting is valuable to God, and as image-bearers of His it should be valuable to us. We were designed to rest! We see it all throughout Scripture:

-One of the Ten Commandments (Ex. 20:8-10)
-The Psalmist refers to rest regularly (Ps. 23, 55:6)
-Jesus Himself made a point to find time to rest (Mark 6:32)
-Jesus offers rest (Matt. 11:28-30)

I could go on, but you probably get the point. Rest is biblical. Now, how do we as artists find rest? Whether or not you get paid for the art you create you probably have experienced the exhaustion that comes from creating a painstaking work of art. Not one that excites you or makes you feel energized but one that you walked away from thinking “finally, I can put that behind me” so you can start working on a new project that gives you life. We’ve all put in the effort to do work with our art, but we may not have noticed the difference between creating as work and creating as rest. Similarly, there are times where an artist might be paid for a work of art, but the process was life-giving and incredibly restful. This brings up an important point: sometimes money exchanging hands doesn’t necessarily equate to an activity being “work”.

Generally speaking we are working when we are commissioned to make a painting or hired to DJ a corporate event, but there have been times where our work has led us to a feeling of fulfillment and rest more valuable than the amount we were paid. Does this mean that we should never take a day off so long as one of our days is fulfilling and life-giving? Of course not. Physical rest is still an important piece of the biblical routine of worship. However, not counting some of the work that we do in creating as emotionally, sometimes spiritually restful is discrediting it for what God even designed it to do. Artist, don’t forget that God created art as a gift for us to be reminded of His glory, His story, and His goodness to us.

Finally, it’s important to note that we need to rest from our intensive focus. We need to “turn it off” when it comes to creating, building, growing, tending, and making so that we can simply enjoy. Sometimes it’s enjoying the creation you have completed, sometimes it’s walking away and enjoying other gifts that God has given us- our families, our simple joys, our favorite foods, and so many more. Even though we are without explicit biblical direction on how to rest, we do know what it feels like to be rested. Let’s take a break from the things that wear on us, trust God to provide the energy and resources that we need to complete the tasks (and pay our bills), and pursue the activities that give rest to weary souls and fill our bucket for another six days of work.

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Kevin McClure has been leading worship in the local church for over 10 years in different capacities of student and adult ministries. As a songwriter, musical artist, and worship leader he has had the honor of touring the United States both as a performer and worship leader over the better part of the last decade. With a heart to see believers learn how to take the act of worship beyond the setting of a group gathering, Kevin is incredibly intentional with his time on and offstage to help teach the practice of worship as a lifestyle. Kevin lives in Omaha, Nebraska with his bride Hailey and his two daughters, Everleigh (8) and Eliska (2). His favorite food is coffee (lifesource), loves bonfires, and is convinced that Jesus is a Chicago Cubs fan.