I hope your weekend was refreshing.  As we start another week, I am beginning to think of how I can get ready to rest again.

Purposefully resting — “Sabbathing” — is not something that comes easily to me.  What are your thoughts?  How do you Sabbath?

The Seventh Day

You may have heard, “on the seventh day, God rested”  – but why was this a big deal back when the creation story was recorded?  Why was “remembering the Sabbath” important enough to be included in the ten commandments?

Life Back in the Day

In an ancient agricultural society, people worked seven days a week.    More work meant more food.  More food, more women.  More women, more babies.  More babies, more warriors. More warriors, more power.  And so on.

To rest was a gift.  But accepting that gift required an act of trust and obedience, trusting that working only six days a week was ok.  That resting was safe.  Not getting that crop in today….not getting those sheep shorn right now…not crushing those grapes tonight… that the work could all wait.  That Someone Else was big enough to take care of life on a six-day schedule.

So beginning in the Garden, and continuing in the Mosaic law, God was setting out to prove that He and His provision were enough.

Life Now

Even though we no longer live in a subsistence culture, life hasn’t changed that much, has it?   We are still working, doing, driving, texting, emailing, planning, dashing and sometimes frantically trying to hold it all together.  Busily working until we achieve “enough.”

We might even have some of these worries:   What if I turn down this work opportunity – will another ever come?  What if I don’t enroll my child in advanced lessons – will she miss her opportunity to play in college?  What if we don’t begin more house projects – are we missing our chance to build equity?  What if I don’t say “yes” to this volunteer job – will they give it to someone who won’t run the event as well?

Find Your Sabbath  — What would “remembering the Sabbath and keeping it holy” look like for you and me?  

In pondering this question, I have come to realize that I chronically have too much on my plate to enjoy a true Sabbath.

I have often enjoyed the thought of living like the Hebrews – getting everything ready and “checked off” by sundown the day before the Sabbath so that the Sabbath could be restful.  But this would mean reducing my “to do” load significantly.  Maybe cutting out some kids activities?  Reducing work hours?  Letting go of some domestic expectations?  Outsourcing some chores?

Trusting God

I am learning to sort it all out, and enjoying bits of rest as I can.  Specifically, I am experimenting with, “What if I didn’t do ____________________?  What would happen?  Or, in what ways am I fearful of letting __________________ go?  Why am I finding my security there?

I’m learning to trust.  I’m learning that my work and optional activities are not as crucial or important as I would sometimes like to think.

I’m learning to trust that, while I am responsible for my work, my home, and my family, I don’t have to gain significance by how well I do my job, keep my house, or prepare my children for the future.

I’m learning to trust that, while I am called to do my work “as unto the Lord,” I don’t have to do it better than everyone else.

And maybe, someday soon, I will be able to trust the God of the Universe in a way that a six-day work week will be good enough for me too.