Sabbath has been on my mind a lot lately. Probably because I am terrible at taking one. Whether you actually believe it or not, I do not work only one day a week! 😊I am on call 24/7/365. Yes, that means weekends, holidays, and late nights, as well as the four days in the office, Saturday sermon and worship prep time, and Sunday church time. When you add on the stress and work required of a doctoral student, I feel like I am always working.
I don’t just feel like it. I am always working. Take this past Thursday for example. I bowl in a league on Thursdays, but in the three hours I was there I had no less than five text messages and two phone calls. This was about 45 minutes of work during my “off” time, all of which could have been handled on Monday when I got back to the office. I never even realized I was doing this until a friend who tagged along to the bowling alley with me pointed it out.
Now don’t get me wrong. I am not complaining. I realized the scope of the work when I signed up for the job. I really don’t mind taking care of stuff like this whenever it comes up. However, it has made me realize that I need to set some boundaries so I can take care of myself. I know I need to stop and take a breather every once in a while. Scripture tells us,
And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation. (Genesis 2:3-4)
Folks, we were created in the image of God. If Almighty God, who knows all things and never tires, saw the need to rest, how can I decide that I, a mere human, do not need it? How can I decide that it is acceptable to just push through? Why do I determine it is ok to do this one little thing right now because it will only take a few minutes? God rested when God did not physically need it. Yet, I do not allow myself the luxury when I do need it, and it is sorely lacking from my life.
While it is not a good excuse, I blame two things. One, I was raised to be doing something. My mother very likely had non-diagnosed ADHD. She just couldn’t sit still and relax. Therefore, I never really knew what relaxing meant. Two, I never really got an accurate picture of what Sabbath was. It is near impossible to practice what you don’t know. These are tragically hard obstacles to overcome.
I am now beginning to gain an understanding of Sabbath. It is not what I thought it was when I heard the word during my growing up years. Then, I thought it was a day dedicated to God – meaning a day spent at church in worship and then at home reading Scripture, praying, having quiet time, and forcing a connection with Jesus. None of that sounded like fun when practiced for an entire 24 hours. Now I know Sabbath is not like that at all. Yes, it is a day dedicated to God, but it is also a way of resting, relaxing, and enjoying those things that naturally bring you joy and bring you into God’s space. Cory Barnes of the Caskey Center for Church Excellence puts it this way, “The Sabbath is about God resting in his creation and creation resting in God. This should guide our Sabbath activities. On the Sabbath we should do things that remind us of God’s presence with us and the rest he provides for us through his good work on our behalf.”
Barnes also states, “Sabbath is not a day of boredom, but it is a day of rest, so do restful things on the Sabbath. That might change drastically depending on your personality and even on what your normal day looks like. My family enjoys working around our yard on the Sabbath day. We find this a restful and enjoyable way to spend time together. If your job is landscaping, however, that is probably not the way you want to rest!” Sabbath is a day of rest, which does not mean refraining from work. (Some of the things I most enjoy are a lot of work). But it does mean we should not toil. “Toil is work corrupted by the curse of sin. God tells Adam that part of the punishment for sin is that work will be cursed, and we still feel that punishment to this day (Gen 3:17). Avoid work that reminds you of the fallen state of things during your day of Sabbath rest.”[1]
Sabbath can include a lot of activities, but those activities need to bring joy and draw us closer to God. It should be a weekly activity. The word Sabbath actually comes from the Hebrew word meaning seven. God created us to take one day out of every seven for Sabbath. This is the rhythm of life we are supposed to maintain.
In this season of my life, I am realizing the need for a Sabbath every week. I need that time not only to spend with Jesus, but to keep myself healthy. I am trying to find that rhythm for myself and my family. I don’t quite know what it will look like, but I know it has to look different than what I am doing now. It may mean that I am not in the office one day a week, or at least one afternoon a week. It will mean that I am unplugging and stepping away from my email and text messages for 24 hours. It will mean that I am connecting with Jesus, so I am whole and healthy in my soul. That way I can be whole and healthy for the people God brings before me.
Friends, you, too were created for a Sabbath. I hope you are taking one. If not, please start. If you need some help figuring it out, read the article I referenced. You can find it here. https://caskeycenter.org/a-how-to-guide-to-keeping-the-sabbath/. Or come talk to me, just not on my Sabbath!
[1] Cory Barnes, “A “How To” Guide to Keeping the Sabbath,” Caskey Center for Church Excellence, https://caskeycenter.org/a-how-to-guide-to-keeping-the-sabbath/ (accessed November 27, 2024).