Before God gave Adam and Eve a garden, He gave them something far more foundational: rhythm.
A rhythm of rule and rest.
Of stewardship and surrender.
Of doing and being.
Genesis opens with a mandate: “Be fruitful, multiply, take dominion.” But the very next beat? God stops. He blesses the seventh day. He rests.
God modeled something we often forget: Dominion doesn’t begin with hustle—it begins with holy rhythm.
If You Don’t Run Your Life, It Will Run You
Nehemiah shows up in chapter 13 and finds Judah in chaos. Winepresses are running on the Sabbath. The rhythm has been hijacked. Commerce is king. Conviction is gone.
Nehemiah’s not quiet. He throws down the challenge: “Shut the gates!”
Translation: This dysfunction doesn’t get to run your story anymore.
And maybe it’s not ancient Judah we’re talking about. Maybe it’s you.
Grinding. Hustling. Tired but still scrolling. Busy but never full.
Your pace is out of sync with your purpose.
Let’s fix that.
1. Stop Thinking More Stuff Will Bring Joy
More isn’t the answer. It’s the addiction.
We chase it like a god—more followers, more cash, more control. But the Bible already told us: “Life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.”
Joy doesn’t live at the end of your to-do list.
It lives in the presence of God.
Want more joy? Stop climbing. Start abiding.
Joy doesn’t need to be earned. It needs to be received.
2. Frame Out Godly Desire and Submit It
Desire isn’t the enemy. Ungoverned desire is.
Greed is just desire with no leash.
But godly desire—prayed over, submitted, filtered through purpose—creates legacy.
Here’s the new blueprint:
Pray first, then plan.
Dream, but test the dream.
Don’t build a life that feeds your ego. Build one that glorifies God.
Desires are powerful. But only when they’re pointed in the right direction.
3. Give God Your Best — Not Your Leftovers
We say He’s first. But He gets what’s left.
We collapse on the couch and call it rest. That’s not rest—that’s recovery. And you weren’t made to survive; you were made to thrive.
God deserves your best excellence—and your best rest.
Work like it’s worship.
Rest like it’s trust.
When you Sabbath, you’re making a declaration: “God, You’re the source—not me.”
If you don’t have a rest ethic, your work ethic is a liability.
What’s at Stake?
If you don’t take dominion over your time and your desires,
they will take dominion over you.
You’ll become a worshiper of your own hustle.
Your family will feel it. Your soul will ache from it.
You’ll survive instead of live.
But restore the rhythm?
Peace returns.
Purpose rises.
Blessing multiplies.
The Invitation: Shut the Gates
Shut the gates on fear.
Shut the gates on distraction.
Shut the gates on the hustle that’s stealing your peace.
Step off the hamster wheel.
Step into the presence of God.
Give Him your first.
Give Him your best.
And watch Him do more with your six days than you could with seven.
Say This Out Loud:
I am not a slave to the hustle.
I am rooted in Christ and I live from His rhythm.
I was created for glory—not burnout.
I give God my first and my best—every day.
I do not run after more—I rest in enough.
I walk in peace, purpose, and supernatural joy.