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Written on August 15, 2010 by emily

What is the Sabbath anyway? I can’t say I’ve ever been good at observing it in any purposeful way. I know. It’s a day of rest and its in the ten commandments, but of all the commandments, I’ve taken this one pretty lightly. I’d like to publicly repent for that. Still, I have questions about it, like, how in the world do I take a day off and do no work? That whole idea seems foreign to me. I’m a busybody in the first place, but add owning my own business, mothering 3 children, and pursuing a number of different life dreams while I manage a household…I almost want to laugh out loud when I think of taking a whole day off. Every week. Some would say that I should cut some things out of my life. I am willing to remove whatever doesn’t belong when God directs me to, but the truth is, there is nothing I can cut. Nothing I would cut, and I don’t believe God is asking me to cut something out right now anyway. I do believe He’s whispering something to me about this subject though. I feel the need to investigate the deeper meaning of the Sabbath and find some practical ‘next steps’ for myself.

I think the command that we observe the Sabbath is about more than taking a time of rest. After all, Jesus said that if we harbor hate in our hearts, we have committed murder, so we can reason that inward things are just as important to God as the actions we take. A religious observance of the Sabbath without any understanding of why we’re commanded to observe it just might not get to the heart of things. Busy or not, are we purposeful about asking God what He thinks about our schedules? The NLT version of Ps. 37:23 says, “The Lord directs the steps of the godly, He delights in every detail of their lives.” Does He direct your steps? Or I guess I should ask, do you let Him?

I think the Sabbath is meant to be a time of laying down our self-importance. It’s not just about sleep (although that is good), it is about recognizing God, acknowledging Him, and waiting on Him for our next marching orders. It’s about seeing the day we have before us as a gift from Him, to be used for His glory, for His purpose, for His story. It’s about the holiness of God and the wholeness of rest in Him. It’s about shutting out the noise so we can see the big picture–the truth that God’s story (and God’s glory) extends far beyond our little corner of the universe. The Sabbath is about placing value on God’s perspective and God’s desires for us. Do you care about what God thinks?

The Sabbath is about being renewed and rejuvenated by the One who gives life. It’s about becoming excited for the journey we’re taking with God. Life gets really dull when its the same all the time…even if ‘the same old thing’ means racing from this adventure to that. If you race long enough…well, besides the fact that you just can’t sustain that…it will just get dull. Ask the folks who go clubbing every night of the week. Let’s see how long that excites them. Jesus is the one who fills us with good things, and if we don’t spend any time preparing ourselves to take in those good things, what have we missed? Everything. It makes me think of fresh bread straight out of the oven. Butter melts into the bread as you take a bit and savor it in your mouth. But if you’re in the car, rushing from meeting to meeting to store to practice to meeting, the best you can do is donate five minute and five dollars to the empty calories of the fast food joint. That stuff is not fresh, and its not rejuvenating even though it fills the empty space in your stomach. Life in the fast lane causes you to make unwise choices, because you believe you have no other choice, which is never true. There is always a wise choice to make, we just don’t always see it, and we’re not always prepared for it.

So slow down. Ask God for perspective about what rest and rejuvenation look like in your life. I’m not talking about taking a two week vacation to an exotic place every other year–I’m talking about weekly, even daily, stopping what you’re doing to rest your weary heart and check in with God.

What does this mean for me? Life with little ones is all about creativity and innovation. Mothers are excellent at both of these things. It is clear to me that I cannot take a day off in which I do no work, so I’m going to be asking God to show me what opportunities I have in the day that I can stop and hear Him. I want to know how to rid myself of self-importance, because that one seems built in to me. Ousting it is a matter of deliberate surrender. I’ve already started by taking my Bible with me when I put my kids to bed. I sit on the stairs as they settle in their beds (we have an ongoing problem with a certain four year old getting out of bed to collect toys and disturb the baby), and I open it up. There’s 15 minutes easy. I also pray every time I stand at the sink. Admittedly, sometimes I go to the sink to do dishes, not because they need to be done, but because I need to check out of screaming land and into purposeful listening land. When I go to bed, I leave all technology at the other end of the house. Phone. At one time in my life I felt responsible for the whole world, and I felt like if I didn’t have my phone within 2 feet of myself at all times, the world might end, and I’d miss the call. No more, friends. Sleep is so important to God, and so important to my own health that even the risk of missing an emergency phone call does not sway me to bring my phone to bed. As long as I know my children are safe in their beds, I have no need for a phone by my pillow.

I want to learn more, and I want God to show me how I can best honor His command from the heart, not from some outward unimportant ritual. I think that concludes my current exploration of the Sabbath.

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