Loving to Life Pt 6

PRACTICE & PROMOTE SABBATH

How many people do you know of that can work 7-10 days a week (yes I know how many days are in a week) and still have the energy and desire to live a full life outside of work? Plain and simple, we can’t.

In the book of Genesis 1-2, Exodus 20, and reiterated again in Deuteronomy 5, God is teaching about a Sabbath rest. This is something we really should pay attention to. A day of rest is so much more than a day “off.” It is so much more than a day to “catch up.” A day of rest is simply that—a. day. of. rest. Period.

So, what does this look like?

It means to not do any normal work. I have heard pastors talk about a Sabbath day as a time when you do not do your “normal” work. In fact, if you consider it work, don’t do it. Instead, do things that you enjoy and re-energize you. For example, if mowing the lawn seems like work, don’t do it on your day off; But, if, mowing the lawn is something you enjoy, something that relaxes you, by all means mow the lawn on your day off.

Another thing to consider is a Sabbath day is not a day to be lazy. This is not when we should just sit around and do nothing. Even when we are resting, we can still be growing in our knowledge and love of/for God and other people. Take time to find ways to worship, to read, to be outside, to spend quality time with family/friends.

So, why does all of this matter?

Ask yourself this question, “do I trust God with all of my heart, soul, mind, strength, work? All of my life?” If the answer is “yes!” then how we spend our Sabbath shows what we really believe about trusting God with everything. If we take time to rest and do not do our “normal work,” no matter how much we have to do, we are showing we trust God that everything will get done. We show we can trust God to refuel us and get us ready for the week ahead.

We are not meant to be workaholics. We are meant to do the work God designed us to do. Not everything has to get done (I have to keep reminding myself of this daily).

If we take time to rest, and actually take time off of work, we find our minds are more clear and we have a better heart for the work we’re doing.

A couple of years ago on October 6, 2016, I wrote a blog on the importance of Sabbath Rest. Here is the post:

I came back from a week in the mountains with some great friends as well as some new men I haven’t met before. This was an incredible week to take time away and rest in the Lord, intentionally.

Sabbath rest is extremely important and it is a discipline that is overlooked. One of the books I was reading during this week was “Emotionally Healthy Leader.” This is an awesome book which forces you to look inside yourself and see how, through the grace of God, we can be better and more healthy leaders. This is a book that I would recommend.

In the chapter on “Practice Sabbath Delight,” Peter Scazzaro writes about a time when he visited a trusted friend. He was frustrated when the Christian leaders he taught all over the country preach about Sabbath rest and even say it is a great “idea,” would not actually practice a true Sabbath. Bob, his clinical psychologist friend told Peter, ““They can’t stop. If they stop, they’ll die. They’re terrified. They’re frightened to death of what they’ll see inside themselves if they slow down. And you want them to immerse themselves in things like solitude, Sabbath, and silent reflection?” He chuckled again. “Do you have any idea how foreign this is for any leader —Christian or not? Something so much deeper is driving them; they just have no idea what it is.” It was the penetrating truth of this statement that stunned me: If they stop, they’ll die. They’re terrified.”

Does this describe you? If I was honest earlier in my life and ministry career, I would have to say that that statement actually pinned me to a “T.” After all, why would I want to purposefully look into the depths of my character, passed mistakes, and anything else that God wants me to work on. My thought was “I can do this. I’ll spend time with God and make Sabbath as part of my daily life. But there was a problem with that mindset; I wasn’t discipline to take at least an hour away from “my day” when I “had to be productive and get things done.”

As I have learned and realized the importance, I try (not always though) to take a complete 24 rest from the work I have to do the other 6 days of the week and spend time to delight in God. This means I will rest from work (paid and unpaid) and only do the things that give me complete joy. Some of this includes spending time with family, more time for reading, prayer, reflection, play.

For the last few years, I have been going on week long men’s retreats to the mountains. During this time away (not off like we think of being off), I have learned how to structure my days so I can come back refreshed, joyful, and ready to get back into the work of life.

Each day I will take a minimum of 2 hours, and a maximum of 5 hours for reading, meditation on Scripture, prayer, taking a walk, etc. This is usually done by myself. The rest of the day I would spend time with the group and go hiking, go into town to walk or hangout. Basically, the second half of my day is play and spending time with friends.

I am not sure of your station in life, or what you are going through. But I would encourage you to take time every 7 days for a true Sabbath rest (not necessarily stopping work; but having no deadlines to focus on). If taking 24 hours to do this each week seems challenging, I would encourage you to take time to build up to it. Purposely plan what you will and will not do on your Sabbath time and just see how God refreshes your soul for the next 6 days of building relationships and your work.

I pray, you continue to find joy, rest, vision in your walk with God as you continue to step out in faith and do the work God has given you.