Children of God or Slaves? Receive the Gift of the Sabbath
(Read or Click Here to listen to the Podcast)
So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.
Hebrews 4:9
But how many of us are receiving it?
Have you ever noticed that the people that God calls to a particular ministry need it the most? The man who vehemently struggles with the grip of addiction is called to lead the Celebrate Recovery group. The woman held captive by the culture's pressures to dress, own, and be known is the one God calls to lead the Bible study about our identity in Christ alone. And the one who wrestles the most to stop working and rest is the one God calls to lead a retreat center.
"Hello, Bryan and Lori!" Maybe the enemy's temptation is more potent in areas that God has called us to, hoping he can knock our legs out from under us. If he can convince us that we are complete frauds because we imperfectly live the message we preach, maybe he can get us to pull the plug on the work God is doing through us all together.
But the best thing we can do to strip the enemy of his power is to shine the light on Christ and our utter dependence on Him. His followers never proclaim their own perfection, only His.
It Used To Be Easy
Through the years, putting uncompleted tasks in God's hands at dinner time to receive his daily gift of rest and taking the whole day off on Sunday had been easy for me. I held firm to the priority of the Sabbath for decades as we raised our children. We didn't run errands, do housework, or succumb to the kids' extracurricular activities. Sunday was a special day to get a reprieve from work and enjoy our faith community, relationships, play, and rest.
But In the last few years, I've gotten sucked into the vortex. More times than I like to admit, I've given up my sabbath as I slipped in a few loads of laundry or cooking just one pot of soup that turned into making the meals for the week, afraid that I couldn't keep up if I left these tasks until Monday.
Recently, as I noticed myself more regularly sacrificing my Sabbath, the Holy Spirit whispered this truth to my heart,
"There is a Sabbath rest for the people of God."
The people of God don't need to live like others who don't know their heavenly Father. For those who don't know Him, it's reasonable to work seven days a week, believing that everything is on their shoulders and that they can't survive if they stop.
But the same heavenly Father who delivered his people (in the book of Exodus) from 400 years of slavery when they worked seven days a week and provided manna in the wilderness for them to collect for six days and a double portion on the seventh, instructing them to worship, rest and play on the seventh, wants to free us from our slavery. He has the same provision and sabbath gift for us today.
Seeing His Gift Once Again
Reclaiming the gift of the sabbath came to a head for me a week ago. Our weekend was packed! Saturday was overflowing with housework, work on the barn, and meeting with two of our kids. On Sunday, we would be serving at church, and the family was coming for lunch. The weeks before had been packed with our regular responsibilities and juggling contractors working on the barn, and in the week ahead, we would be flying out of state for a wedding.
The Holy Spirit nudged, "Will there be any time for Sabbath?"
No. If nothing changed, we would run at a breathless pace from our packed week through the weekend and into our crammed week ahead. The revelation God planted in me decades ago rose to the surface. We needed to make room for Sabbath.
And it wasn't just for me. I was also concerned about my husband. Not one to watch out for himself, he had been operating at 150%, juggling his full-time job, the family, and the barn progress. Even though he didn't notice it, caution lights also flashed on his path.
So, I got out my red pen, slashed items from our to-do list, and sent texts to cancel and reschedule. Right away, I felt relief and joy. God never meant for us to live endlessly pushed, poked, and prodded seven days a week, but gave us the sabbath to stop and be renewed!
Sabbath Looks Different
Not everyone observes their sabbath the same way. That week, we observed half on Saturday and the other half on Sunday. Those who work on Sundays can observe theirs on a different day. The important thing is regular practice, not the day you observe it.
For you, it might not be the fear of not having enough time to fit all your work in during the week that has stolen your sabbath but the legalism of the sabbath you grew up with.
Instead of a day of freedom and delight when you could go to the beach, throw the football in the front yard, or enjoy a BBQ with friends, the day was choked with rules. Only attending church, napping, and studying the Bible were allowable activities. You couldn't even pop popcorn, for goodness' sake! No wonder the word "sabbath" sends shudders up and down your spine even now.
Throughout time, God's people have struggled with receiving the gift of the sabbath. Yet, we have the example of spiritual giants who faced the same and even greater struggles to help us be faithful. First, our savior Jesus, who had the whole world to save and only thirty-three short years to do it, regularly stopped to take time with God and his disciples to rest, worship, and play. Also, many others, like pastor, theologian, and author of over 30 books and the Message Bible Translation, Eugene Petersen.
He and his wife, Jan, took Mondays as their weekly sabbath, during which they enjoyed stillness, scripture, and renewal.
Eugene said, "If you don't take a Sabbath, something is wrong. You're doing too much; you're being too much in charge. You've got to quit, one day a week, and just watch what God is doing when you're not doing anything." Epicquotes.com
Amen!
Prayer Pause …
So, where are you on your journey with receiving the gift of the Sabbath? Is it a struggle for you? Or are you in a season where you are fully embracing it?
What do sense the Spirit saying to you?
Take a few minutes in prayer to ask the Spirit to speak to you through your imagination. Ask him to take you back to a few Sundays recently (or whatever day is your Sabbath) and walk you through what happened those days. Ask Him to show you where he was during the activities on those days. Listen for what He says as he walks alongside you through them. Or take you forward, filling your imagination with what it would look like to walk through your next Sabbath with him guiding each step.
Spiritual Formation Practice …
One of my favorite spiritual mentors shared this simple Sabbath practice with me years ago. At sundown on Saturday, she and her husband would light a candle that symbolized the next 24 hours as a special time. While the candle burned, they didn't discuss or tackle any heavy issues of life, only delightful ones.
Resources Worth Noticing:
Keeping the Sabbath Wholly by Marva Dawn, one of the Eugene Petersen's favorites!
Chariots of Fire movie the story of Olympic athlete, missionary, and devoted Christian, Eric Liddell and his commitment to the Sabbath and the miraculous things God did.
The Good for Nothing Sabbath by Eugene Petersen, Christianity Today Magazine.
Practicing the Sabbath, by John Mark Comer, 4-week small group study and free video series that I discovered after writing this episode.
~ Lori