Sabbath or Die
“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.”
—Exodus 20:8-11
Let’s talk about rest—specifically, the practice of Sabbath.
One whole day of rest from work without obligation, every week, committed to God.
Yep, that’s what the Bible calls Sabbath. Jesus is inviting you to enjoy a day of rest with Him.
Will you say yes to His invitation?
At first glance, it’s easy to slip into the thought trap that you don’t have the time to rest. We know it feels like time is flying and there’s still a mile-long to-do list on your desk that seemingly multiplies every day.
But Jesus did not create the Sabbath to be one more item on your to-do list.
Instead of being burdensome, the Sabbath is a gift that commands you to put aside your to-do list. The Sabbath gives you the freedom to stop the grind, rest, and even play for a full 24 hours. Can we get an “amen” and a “thank you, Jesus”?!
To Sabbath is to enjoy the gift of this beautiful life with which God has blessed us, to deepen your relationship with Jesus, to delight in and spend time with creation.
So how do we live into our calling to rest?
Jubilee speaker Justin McRoberts suggests that we choose rest as an aspect of the creation process. Don’t wait until you’re exhausted to rest. Recognize that rest is designed to be an intentional and regular choice in our lives.
Remember that you are not a machine, but instead a child of God. Therefore, your worthiness is not defined by your level of production, but by your identity in Christ.
If you feel like you’re burning the candle at both ends, take hold of Jesus’ hand and let him show you how to take a real rest. We urge you to head over to CCO Podcast to listen to McRoberts’ “Sabbath or Die” for more insight on the Sabbath!
Scheduling your week so that you can logistically carve out an entire day to commit to God may be daunting, but the benefits are so worth it. Sabbathing may not get you 401(k) matching or tuition assistance, but as Justin puts it, sabbathing will help you:
“To recognize that there is not a square inch of [your] entire life that is not in some way, shape, or form divinely inspired, held, and important.”
See you next week with more ways to #LiveJubilee.
Peace,
Your Jubilee Team