Protect Your Sabbath Rest

Protect Your Sabbath Rest

After God spent six days creating the world, He paused on the seventh day to rest. Did the Almighty really need to put His feet up? I doubt that was the reason—instead I believe the Lord was modeling a behavior He wanted us to follow.  He purposed himself to pause that day and consider the work He had completed—stating that what He had accomplished “was good”.  We would be wise to follow his example.

We’ve been engineered with bodies that require adequate sleep, rest and recreation in order to function optimally and feel well.  Setting the Sabbath apart from the busyness of the rest of the week breeds physical, mental, and emotional health by allowing us the opportunity to reflect, recreate, and recharge. So if you are experiencing burn out, lacking creativity, or struggling with frequent illnesses, perhaps you’ve been leaving the gift of the Sabbath Day unopened.

Many times I’ve felt pressured by the upcoming week to get a “head start” by food shopping, throwing in a load of clothes, or finishing a house project. One day I realized that my misuse of the Sabbath was really a sign of mistrust on my part. To be honest, I didn’t trust that God would enable me to get everything done in the upcoming week without me using a part His Sabbath day for my purposes. After that revelation I decided to try trusting God with my whole week—and guess what? My other six days became more productive. I found new creative energy, and I warded off burn out and illness even under the weight of a heavy schedule!

So here is my challenge for you this week—open up the gift of the Sabbath the Lord has given you. Spend time with God, enjoying His presence, His creation, reflecting on the productivity of the past week, and getting recharged for the upcoming week. I trust you’ll find that your Heavenly Father had your best interest in mind when He commanded the observance of the Sabbath (#4 of 10 if you’re counting!).