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I struggle with "obsessive responsibility." I often act as though the success of anything I'm involved in depends entirely on me. When my life begins to unravel spiritually, emotionally or relationally, I go into overdrive in whatever other areas I can administer or control.

This unbalance makes it difficult for me to understand the idea of "Sabbath." We're supposed to look at God's own example of resting after creating the earth. But surely God doesn't grow tired like I do. Why would God take time to rest when he didn't really need to?

Recently, I ran across another of those passages about Sabbath keeping and was brought up short: "In six days the Lord made the heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed" (Exodus 31:17). Refreshed? The Hebrew literally means "he paused to catch his breath."

Was God tired after the work of creation? Doesn't Isaiah tell us that God never grows weary (Isaiah 40:28)? Aren't we the ones who need renewal so we can soar on wings like eagles (Isaiah 40:31)?

Scripture refers to various kinds of weariness. It doesn't only mean being physically exhausted. It also means being depleted or expended in some way. Land can be weary from lack of rain or even an abundant harvest. You can be weary from giving yourself to all the right things in faithfulness.

This kind of weariness requires a counter-balancing, energizing activity. Something different. A change of pace. All living things need periods of renewal. Is this what God means by resting after creating the earth? He may never shut down his vigilant care of Creation. He doesn't need food or sleep. But he chooses to rest, to catch his breath, to change his activity.

One reason we are to keep the Sabbath is to imitate God. But another is to remember that we are dependent on him. The Hebrew people were to rest on the seventh day. The land was given a rest every seventh year. The whole economy was refreshed (a year of Jubilee) every 49 years (seven weeks of years). Questions would inevitably arise: "How are we going to eat in the seventh year if we can't till the earth?" "How can we get this ripe grain in if we can't harvest on this Sabbath day?"

God's answer was, "You will have to trust me." Living the Sabbath principle reminds us that only God provides.

As leaders, we can become obsessive about our responsibilities. But the Sabbath principle calls us to depend on God. I often think, "But how will all this work get done if I don't do it?!" There is no one person whose services are so essential that he or she cannot be replaced. Burnout is avoidable; there is no activity that is so important that we cannot take the time to do what is right and depend on God. Sabbath rest can help us break our unhealthy dependencies -- and give us a break, too.

Steve Hayner is InterVarsity^®'s national president.