Woven into all of creation is a fundamental principle:We are designed to work from a place of rest, not rest from work. In John 15, Jesus takes it even further and suggests that if we aren't regularly resting in him (abiding) we can never bear Kingdom fruit. We need times of rest and recreation with Jesus and with our families every day, week, season, and year. If we neglect this truth, neglect times of rest and perpetually push the pendulum to Work, eventually it will lead to a crash. What's worse, without times of abiding, Jesus tells us that all our efforts will be fruitless. 

Left to my own thoughts, I grow jaded about my work...I would grumble in the spirit and harbor a generally negative attitude during the daily grind that is work. This teaching from Christ's life and all of scripture about how we are made to produce a return (to work!) and that we need a regular rhythm of work and rest has changed my life. In those moments when I begin to feel dissatisfied about the task ahead, I remember this shape and that God has given me a job to do, and I return to peace quickly! I have also re-ordered my life to prioritize rest and times of non-productivity. Gone are the feelings af guilt about "doing nothing"...and gone too is the anxiety of underachievement!