As Labor Day approaches, we often think of it as just a day off—a long weekend marking the end of summer. For many, it’s one last chance to fire up the grill, head to the beach, or watch a ballgame. But the heart of Labor Day invites us to reflect on a deeper, biblical rhythm: the balance of work and rest.

Think about baseball. It’s a game of discipline and strategy—innings full of action, split-second decisions, and endurance. But it’s also full of pauses. Between pitches, between innings, even the 7th-inning stretch. The greatest players know that the game isn’t just won in effort, but in rhythm. You can’t sprint through nine innings. There’s a pace, a timing—just like life.

In Genesis, we see that God created the world in six days—and then rested. Not because He was tired, but to set a pattern for us. Work is good and necessary, but rest is Holy. It restores. It realigns.

Labor Day reminds us that our work has value, but it is not our identity. Whether we labor in offices, classrooms, homes, or fields, we are more than our productivity. In baseball terms: your worth isn’t just your batting average. It’s who you are on and off the field.

Jesus echoes this in Matthew 11:28. He doesn’t say, “Come to me when you’ve done enough.” He says, “Come to me, all you who are weary…” Rest is not a reward for finishing your to-do list—it’s an invitation to trust Him with it.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28 (NIV)