When I heard the word ‘Sabbath,’ my mind thought of Sundays, church, and no work. And those three things combined definitely make for a restful day, which I thought was synonymous with Sabbath. However, now being in my sixth month of the race and setting aside time for rest and Sabbath, I have learned and am still learning the differences between the two.
“The Hebrew word sabbath literally means ‘to cease.’ Just as God rested from His creation work, we are to rest from our day-to-day occupations and refocus on what’s really important. It’s a day to push the reset button. Taking a Sabbath rest is an act of faith; it’s a reminder that no matter what we do, God is in control. When we cease from pursuing our material goals for one day each week, we’re saying, “God, I trust You to maintain control while I spend this day focusing on You. I trust You to provide for my needs seven days a week even if I only work for six of them. Regardless of how much money I could earn today, or how much remains on my to-do list from last week, today I’m going to rest my mind and body and bask in Your presence.” – Emily Thomsen
Taking a Sabbath rest is an act of faith. I love that. Setting a whole day aside for God every week is how we can actively show our faith in the Lord. There are so many worship songs we sing talking about God being our provider, comforter, father, and so on. But do our actions show that we believe what we sing? Do our lives demonstrate BELIEVERS of Christ, not just Sunday church-goers? Is Sabbath a part of your lifestyle, a way of outwardly showing your belief in that God will provide?
“God liberated his people when they were slaves in Egypt, and in Deuteronomy 5:12–15, God ties the Sabbath to freedom from slavery. Anyone who overworks is really a slave. Anyone who cannot rest from work is a slave—to a need for success, to a materialistic culture, to exploitative employers, to parental expectations, or to all of the above. These slave masters will abuse you if you are not disciplined in the practice of Sabbath rest. Sabbath is a declaration of freedom.” – Tim Keller
Our lives our busy – we can prove that all day long with our to-do lists and events already scheduled for next year. But, all He is asking, for your sake, is to take one day of every week and devote it fully to Him. The Sabbath was made for man. We were created by God, in His image, so why would we even question what’s best for us apart from Him? He knows what you need, and spending this time fully focusing on Him is good for us and pleasing to Him. He wants to spend time with you, so He can remind you of how much He loves you, and equip you with what you need to overcome trials.
Choose to live in freedom.
“Sabbath is the key to getting this balance, and Jesus identifies himself as the Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:27– 28)—the Lord of Rest! Jesus urges us, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28–29). One of the great blessings of the gospel is that he gives you rest that no one else will.”- Keller
I believe a Sabbath is more than just physical rest – it’s also about taking all the thoughts that cloud our minds and giving them over to Jesus. All of our worries, anxiety, loneliness, stress, exhaustion, burdens – all of it – yes, taking ALL of it and laying it at the feet of Jesus. It is declaring to Him that He is above your emotions. He knows what’s going on in your heart and mind. Before you even speak a word, He knows. So let Him take care of the rest, too. He desires to care for you, but the only way He can fully do that is if you trust Him enough to let Him in to speak life to those places. But how will you hear Him if you are constantly on the go, if you’re always giving your time and attention to your work, family, school, activities…?
“Thus Sabbath is about more than external rest of the body; it is about inner rest of the soul. We need rest from the anxiety and strain of our overwork, which is really an attempt to justify ourselves—to gain the money or the status or the reputation we think we have to have. Avoiding overwork requires deep rest in Christ’s finished work for your salvation (Hebrews 4:1–10). Only then will you be able to “walk away” regularly from your vocational work and rest.” – Keller
I encourage you to make a weekly Sabbath part of your lifestyle. If you don’t currently take a Sabbath each week, I suggest starting out small. Maybe devote a part of the day to God (morning, afternoon, evening), and as you begin to consistently spend more time with Him, continue to set aside more time in the day (morning + afternoon). Making a habit of something can be hard work, and the fruit is sometimes not seen for a while. But I will tell you that IT IS WORTH IT. Long term success always outweighs short term pleasure.
Do this for yourself. Do this for God. Choose to Sabbath.
