Work-Life Balance: A Rhythm for Work, Rest, and Play

I’m sure you’ve come across the term work-life balance. For me, the phrase has become so watered down that I forget what it actually means. But I do know that God wants us to have a rhythm for work, rest, and play. He built it that way. We were never meant to run on one setting. 

My story is probably similar to yours. Work became (and still sometimes is) a way for me to find identity and worth. I feel a compulsion to constantly be doing something productive even when I should be resting. Ouch, those words are cringy to write. 

In our go-go-go culture, it’s easy to confuse doing with being.

We forget that work isn’t everything, that rest isn’t a reward, and that play isn’t just for kids.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing all the things and still not feeling whole, this might be why.

Let’s take a deeper look at the difference between work, rest, and play: what they are, what they offer, how to know when something’s off, and how to restore balance.

Defining Work: What You Give

Work is anything that requires effort toward a goal. It can be deeply fulfilling, but it still takes energy. It is usually paired with some kind of responsibility like showing up for your job, paying the bills, taking care of your children, etc. Not to say that it can’t be joyful. I truly hope that it is. But it’s also tough at times.

God blessed work from the beginning. Adam was placed in the garden to work it and take care of it (Gen 2:15). Meaningful work is not a curse, it’s a calling. But it was always meant to be paired with rhythm. 

What work gives: A sense of purpose, progress, contribution, and meaning.
Examples of work: your job, parenting, running a household, writing a book, leading a team, volunteering, creating something with impact.

I’ve always been a worker. It’s challenging for me to put work down. I get excited about it! But I’ve burned the candle at both ends, many times, by working too much. I felt that I had to earn rest and play and I never felt like I was doing enough.

Sound familiar?

And while I would love to say that I’ve mastered this, it’s still a work in progress (see what I did there?)

Defining Rest: What You Receive

Rest is not just sleep (though that’s essential!). It’s the intentional pause that allows your body, mind, and spirit to recover.

God wove rest into the rhythm of humanity. The first full day humans experienced in creation was a day of rest. 

When God made the world, He defined a day as sundown to sundown. Rest came before work. A rhythm that reminds us to begin from a place of surrender and trust. Our current culture rests at the end of the day (if that) signaling that we have earned our rest once we have worked hard. But God didn’t design it like that.

Other examples of rhythmical rest in the Bible:

Every seven days is a Sabbath, a day of rest (Ex 23:12)
Every seven years is rest for the land (Lev 25:4)
Every seven sevens is a Jubilee, a complete reset (Lev 25:8-13)

…for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from His. (Heb 4:10)

What rest gives: Renewal, clarity, healing, space to be rather than do.
Examples of rest: naps, reading, prayer, journaling, sitting in the garden with no agenda, saying no, taking a slow walk, observing a Sabbath.

I started taking a Sabbath a few years ago and it drastically changed my relationship with work. I was able to let go and spend time being myself without effort or expectation. It became a weekly reminder that God is in control and I don’t have to be. A Sabbath rest freed me from the self-inflicted pressure of feeling like I was so important that the work couldn’t go on without me. It was humbling, beautiful, and freeing. And, wouldn’t you know, I was able to accomplish some of my best work as a result of rest. 

Defining Play: What You Enjoy

Play is joy for joy’s sake. It’s the freedom to explore, experiment, and delight without performance or productivity.

God built celebration into His calendar with feasts and festivals like Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles.
These events were central to life with Him. Times of gathering, dancing, remembering, finding joy in His presence in community.

What play gives: Imagination, creativity, presence, spontaneity, fun.
Examples of play: dancing, doodling, laughing, starting a project just for fun, pretending, playing a game, baking sourdough (had to throw that one in).

Also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man. (Ecc 3:13)

Play is less about the activity and more about the posture. It’s when your soul feels delight and fullness.

I tend to feel playful in the kitchen and in the garden. I love making sourdough and preserving my garden harvest. For some people, that might feel like work, but for me, it’s play and enjoyment. It’s not something I have to do, it’s something I get to enjoy. It’s a gift. 

A Reminder

Remember that each activity listed in the three areas of work, rest, and play should be adjusted to your own preferences. For example, someone might think reading is relaxing, but a student might feel like it’s another task. A novice might find taking a pottery class fun and joyful, but for a professional potter, it would be associated with work. So think about how each activity makes you feel and what it gives to you. That will help you decide which activities fall into which category based on your own personality and lifestyle. 

What It Looks Like When You’re Out of Balance

If your life feels off, it might not be the amount of work you’re doing, but the absence of rest or play.

Signs you’re out of balance:

• You can’t stop working, even during downtime.
• You rest but still feel tired (hello, phone scrolling).
• You feel guilty for resting or playing.
• You haven’t laughed in a while.
• You keep procrastinating even though you care about your work.
• You’ve lost your creativity or motivation.
• Everything feels heavy.

Been there? You’re not broken. You’re just out of rhythm.

How to Build a Rhythm That Honors Work, Rest, and Play

Not every day will have perfect balance. But every life can have a healthy rhythm. Here are some ideas:

Notice What You’re Already Doing

Track your days for a week. What are you actually spending time on? Label it: Work. Rest. Play. No shame. Just awareness.

There is no magic formula for how much work, rest, and play you should be doing. God’s calculation for work/rest in a week is that we work six days and rest one. So that could be a place to start if you aren’t sure what you need.

Listen to What You Need More Of

• What’s been missing lately?
• Where do I feel most drained?
• Where do I feel most alive?

Start Small & Schedule It

• Add a rest ritual (a nightly tea, a slow morning).
• Make space for play (a 10-min doodle break, an after dinner dance party).
• Keep work within boundaries so it doesn’t spill into everything (entrepreneurs, I feel you!).

Let It Be Seasonal

Some seasons need more work. Others more rest. Summers tend to be a time of work and play as the daylight hits it’s peak. Winters tend to feel restful and inward.  You could try working only during daylight hours and resting when when the sun goes down. Trust the ebb and flow of God’s design. He created seasons on purpose and you’re allowed to live accordingly.

Parting Words

God’s rhythm for us is not burnout and survival. It’s flourishing.

He invites us to work with purpose, rest with trust, and play with delight.

Balance isn’t about perfection. It’s about knowing when to pause, when to push, and when to play.

When we live in rhythm with work that feels meaningful, rest that feels sacred, and play that feels free, we live more aligned with who we were created to be.

Want to explore this rhythm more deeply in your own life? I’d love to hear from you. Which areas of life (work rest play) feels most alive in you right now? And which one might be calling for your attention?

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