Most people are pretty exhausted these days. Running hard and fast, in need of more sleep, more rest and more time to chill!
We know God rested in Genesis, on the ‘seventh day’. But what does that mean for us, as Jesus followers today?
Should we put aside one full day per week where we rest?
Many people would answer that Sunday is their sabbath. But is that actually a day of rest for you?
For lots of people, going to Church can feel more draining than life giving. Extroverts tend to love all the ‘fellowship’, whereas for introverts being around tons of people can be quite overwhelming.
Families with small kids can experience major stress trying to get everyone up and out of the house early in the morning and arrive feeling anything but rested!
So if our modern day construct of ‘Church’ with it’s rotas, teams, early start and crowds of people isn’t particularly restful for you, does that mean you need another day to call your sabbath?
Can you realistically take more than one day out of your week to chill? For lots of people they can’t afford more than one day, so it needs to be Sunday. If your Sundays don’t feel restful, then they aren’t really a sabbath!
I’ve heard a different interpretation of it – that sabbath isn’t a day a week, but a principle to apply to your entire life.
So is it more of a lifestyle? Is it about getting proper rest throughout the week, not setting aside one full day?
As someone who’s gotten pretty burnt out over the years, I’m really passionate about making sure we all rest enough! Take some time to think about how you approach sabbath as your life and health are in the balance!
I like Rob Bell’s idea that sabbath is a day where you ‘don’t create anything’. But how does that relate to ‘non-creating’ tasks that are still definitely work – like laundry, shopping, chores etc. Those are maintenance rather than creating, but it’s still work and doesn’t feel restful!
How can we obey God, take care of ourselves, and make sure we go the distance in this area of sabbath rest?
Over to you:
- What do you think?
- Do you carve out a whole day a week, where you stop work?
- Does Church feel restful to you, or draining?
- Does having a day of rest each week sound like a pipe dream, way out of your reach?
- How do you rest?
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