Yesterday was a day…some would call it a total loss, since I didn’t really accomplish one thing that day. Except sleep. I accomplished a good amount of sleep. Repeatedly.
I don’t know why some days are like that. What is it that hijacks an entire day, heaviness weighing down your eyes and causing you to feel totally oppressed, so much so that you’re drawn to your bed like a magnet draws metal to the inevitable connection?
I was off. Nothing felt right. I could find no reason to feel that way. There was plenty to be done. But the weight was heavy and the energy was lacking. So I gave in. I slept off and on all day long. I don’t know why. I just did.
Can you relate or am I just tired? Do you have days like this? If so, what do you do?
THE SCALES ARE TIPPED
Something is off balance. It isn’t natural to sleep all night, then sleep all the next day too. That feeling of heaviness is not considered healthy; when you feel weighed down, there’s usually some sort of problem waiting to be addressed. Typically, when I cannot pinpoint the reason for that heavy feeling, it is because I have allowed the stresses of life to counterbalance the peace that Christ promised to those who live His way.
In my searching, I found a definitive solution to this problem and it is an old practice not many Christ-followers put into place today. Creator God recognized the tendency for the stresses of life to overbalance us and from the beginning. God himself modeled and coached us to practice a specific habit that would keep our way of living healthily balanced, regardless of position or profession.
This is the habitual practice of Sabbath: work six days, then rest one day.
I used to think I was observing Sabbath on Sundays when I went to church. Worship is a part of Sabbath, but I have always been a little conflicted by the fact that in our Christian culture, much of Sunday seems to be taken up with the work of ministry.
So is Sunday really a day of rest?
Not if you serve on staff in a church, or if you regularly volunteer in ministry positions. Many Sundays turn into a work day, full of responsibilities, meetings, people, and the concerns of their lives.
How in the world can we take another day off for spiritual things, when Sunday has already been set aside to be spiritual?
We can argue that all those responsibilities, meetings, and people’s lives are moving toward a spiritual end. This is the goal in ministry and we can support all that with scripture. These are good things. Ministry done well results in life-transformation, which is God’s purpose for the church in the world. It’s right. It’s good. It’s even imperative.
SABBATH CAME FIRST—BEFORE THE CHURCH
Have you noticed God laid out the plan for Sabbath before He laid out the plan for the church? God models Sabbath in the Creation story at the very beginning of time as we know it (Genesis 2:1-3).
Sabbath rest must be extremely important, having been modeled thousands of years before the church was established. And not only did He model it, God commanded it when teaching people how to live His way (Exodus 20:8-11).
THE FORGOTTEN FOURTH
For some special reason, God made it a point to include Sabbath-practice in The Ten Commandments. Please do not think I am being legalistic in my mention of the Ten Commandments. I live by the truth that Jesus Christ took away the requirements of the Law. Keeping the Ten Commandments does not make us acceptable for friendship with God—only faith in Jesus brings friendship with God.
However, the commandments serve as a teacher, showing us what a healthy lifestyle looks like in relationship with God and with other people. Although we are not bound to the commandments, we have not forgotten that it is best not to kill people, or lie, or take what belongs to our neighbor, etc.
But we seem to have forgotten to remember the Sabbath day and to keep it holy. I call this commandment “The Forgotten Fourth” because over the years, in the realm of grace, it seems our Christian culture has swept #4 under the rug. As a result, our modern lives are more stressful, more noisy and less peaceful than ever before.
Failing to keep this rhythm of Sabbath will not prevent us from spending eternity with God, but I am living proof that failure will eventually lead to crashing and burning. So I asked myself, “Why not try God’s way and see how that works out for me?”
I have discovered Sabbath holds a much deeper meaning than just setting aside a day for physical rest. We will hit the high points in this post, and I hope you will be motivated to take a deeper look and discover God’s higher purpose for including Sabbath in your life. You can look further with my free ebook. And if you want to explore even further, I’ll be hosting a 1-hour online workshop on August 24 or September 2. To download the free ebook or to register for the workshop, Click here.
SUNDAY IS NOT REQUIRED
What I can tell you is this: since I have learned to practice Sabbath (and according to Paul in Romans 14:1-17, it doesn’t matter what day of the week we practice), my life is easier to manage when I experience those “down days”. I have a reserve for when the unexpected waves of grief wash over me. I have the freedom to sleep the day away when “tired” hijacks me. I find the remaining six days to be much more productive as a result of “keeping the Sabbath day holy.”
Just as Paul taught freedom from a certain day, Jesus taught freedom from legalistic, man-invented restrictions. You can read Jesus’ experiential teaching in Matthew 12:1-14.
Basically, Jesus states that it is permissible to prepare food to eat when you’re hungry on the Sabbath, and it’s a good thing to help others who are in need on the Sabbath. Aren’t you glad we can eat even on our day of rest? And how sad would it be to make someone in need wait until tomorrow? Wasn’t Jesus smart, and Paul so insightful! :)
REQUIREMENTS ARE A SHORT LIST
Although religious people have complicated God’s way of living, I challenge you to lay every expectation for Sabbath-keeping against the template of the two main expectations from God: that we love Him and we love other people. That is all.
Each of The Ten Commandments will fit into one of those two categories: loving God or loving other people. Except for the fourth commandment, “Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.” Often called the Bridge Commandment, this one serves both expectations: loving God and loving people.
Those who interpret the fourth commandment too strictly will legalistically require multiple rules and regulations, like the Pharisees in Jesus’ time.
Those who interpret too loosely will give license to holding no respect for higher living, like the Romans in Paul’s era.
THIS IS WHAT SABBATH-KEEPING LOOKS LIKE
What God lays out in HIs word regarding the regular practice of Sabbath provides a sacred rhythm that balances and boundaries all that life lays in front of us.
What seems to be consistent with scripture is that we set aside a 24-hour block of time in which we
- Stop Work, making space for the act of remembering and keeping
- Enjoy Rest, so our bodies can be replenished with energy
- Practice Delight, which refreshes the spirit
- Contemplate God, allowing Him to feed our souls
These four foundational characteristics serve to distinguish a routine day off from a biblical Sabbath. It’s so much more than just the secular purposes of replenishing our energies.
TRUE SABBATH REFRESHES THE SOUL
The soul, who you are in your core, serves to activate the body, spirit and mind. Therefore, our souls are the part of us that most need to be guarded and nurtured. Our souls are the core of our being that make us like God. Our souls must be nurtured in ways of which we ourselves are not capable—when God fills the longings of our souls with His life-giving power, we become entirely furnished to live our very best lives.
Sabbath is the feeding and the filling of our souls on so many levels. Our bodies, minds and spirits were built for a rhythm of work followed by Sabbath rest. We desperately need that rhythm…and life is richer when we employ it. I can tell you, it’s just delightful!
I would love to hear your thoughts about Sabbath:
- Is this kind of Sabbath a new idea to you?
- Do you feel challenged to set aside a full day every week just for rest?
- What appeals to you when you consider making Sabbath a regular practice in your life?
- If you already practice Sabbath, what benefits have you enjoyed?
Share your thoughts in the comments below.