Learn To Sabbath

SEVEN: LEARN TO SABBATH

EXODUS 20:8-11

VIDEO: TOP 10 COUNTDOWN

ILLUSTRATION…newsonrelevantscience.blogspot.com/2011/07/united-states-of-workaholics-10-telling.html The United States of Workaholics: 10 Telling Stats You Should Know

#1 Thirty-four percent of American adults don't take their vacation days for various reasons.

#2 Workaholic marriages suffer more than others: The divorce rate amongst couples with no workaholic spouse sits at around 16%. By contrast, workaholic marriages crumble at a 55% rate.

#3 Sixty-plus work-hour weeks are not uncommon.

#4 The average amount of hours worked per week is steadily increasing: Between 1970 and 2006, the average number of hours in a working year skyrocketed by 200! What makes workaholism such a difficult issue to address is the fact that it's one of the only addictions where sufferers receive rewards and validation for their addiction. Being perceived as a "go-getter" and financial compensation both legitimize such behavior.

#5 Workaholics have a higher rate of heart disease: Individuals working 11 hours a day or more suffer from 67% chance of coronary heart disease than those with about seven or eight. Ten hour days saw an increase of 45%.

#6 Lunch breaks are (voluntarily!) shrinking: Around 60% of people said they spend 20 minutes or less eating, and 20% take 10 minutes or less, and a further 25% reported never even bother leaving their desks. At least 75% of participants say they eat lunch at their desk around two to three days per week.

#7 Workaholics perceive time differently and always feel they are in a rush through the day, think they have not accomplished anything, and 56% don’t believe they have a sufficient amount of fun.

#8 More severe workaholics can't even relax on vacation without getting sick. An estimated 1/3 of migraines and 1/6 of tension headaches come about because of the body's inability to enjoy its time off.

#9: Workaholics Anonymous Exists: Yes, a 12-step program exists to help individuals afflicted with workaholism. At least 50 different recovery communities exist worldwide, congregating either in person, online or over the phone. It launched in 1983.

#10 Workaholics are more likely to suffer a job-related injury or illness: The more time one spends working, the more susceptible he or she is to end up sick or injured as a result. Chronic over timers face a 61% increased risk over those without such habits.

I wonder how many of us would be categorized as “workaholics” if we took the 20 question survey from Workaholics Anonymous (workaholics-anonymous.org)? I wonder how many of us already consider ourselves as “workaholics?” I wonder how many times we skip our lunches or don’t take our vacation days or allow our job to crowd our weekends? Has our family has given up expecting us on time?

Do you always feel rushed at work?

Do you work more hours than what your employer pays you for?

Do you constantly feel pressure to work even when you are at home?

Do you get headaches or feel ill when you try to relax?

Work is one of those parts of our lives that we look forward to when we are young and foolish (and want to buy our first car) and often becomes something we hate when we are older and a little wiser. Work is necessary for life. Work is how we earn money to buy the things we need and even sometimes the things we want. Work is framed as something good and worthwhile in the Bible. King Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes 2:24-25 says, “A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, 25 for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?” Work is something that can be enjoyed but can also be something that can absolutely take every thought captive and every moment hostage... when that happens, we have a problem that needs a solution.

Perhaps you have been listening and you know most definitely you are a “workaholic.” Maybe you are sitting and thinking, that is not me at all. Maybe your schedule is warped in another way and you struggle with balance in a different area. When you think about your week and your evenings, are you ever at home? Are you one of those people or one of those families who are always on the go and have a different activity every single night of the week? Are you dinners always rushed or maybe eaten in the car? You see there are many different ways that our lives can become unbalanced. Our hobbies and activities can also take over our time and deform our daily lives. Our desires for our kids and grandkids to be active and socially fulfilled can take over our lives. Our desire to do everything can twist our todays and tomorrows into blurs.