When we’re constantly on the go, it can be hard to appreciate the rest of a Sabbath day. But if God Himself could take the time to rest, why shouldn’t we?
“There remains, then, a Sabbath rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from His.” (Hebrews 4:9-10)
I know all the excuses for not resting. There’s so much to do. I’m fine with 5 hours a night. I can’t take a vacation when (fill in the blank) is going on. A day off, are you kidding?!
We get stuck on the hamster wheel of busy and can’t see much beyond each foot we put in front of the other. We know we should rest, it’s in the Bible for goodness sake. But how can we enjoy it when we have so much important, urgent stuff to do?
And to be fair, there are important things that need doing. Urgent ones, too. But when we rely on our own power to accomplish them – and believe that if we try hard enough, we can fix anything – that’s when we not only miss out on the rest God offers us, but deny Him the rightful position of leadership in our lives.
Not just resting, but enjoying that rest
God calls us to rest on the Sabbath, just as He did. And if God can make rest happen, aren’t we a little presumptuous thinking that we can’t?
Setting aside a day when we can rest from our work is important on so many levels. It’s restorative for our bodies and minds. And it also helps us build trust in God – trust that He can handle anything that comes up in the interim.
When you shut off your phone on Sunday, you have to trust that God will find a form of contact for you should you be needed. When you put that pile of forms at the corner of your desk for 24 hours, you have to trust that God will help you complete them in a timely manner when you return.
If you struggle with resting, then you have to trust God to enfold you in peace. To calm your ragged soul. To bring you the contentment you need to truly rest on your Sabbath.
Enjoying time off when you are stressed is practically impossible. But if you can trust God rather than the messages our busy world sends about always being on and available 24/7, then you’ll find that you can love and look forward to the Sabbath like generations past did.
This Monday, I hope you’ll take a pen to your planner or a few clicks to your Google calendar to block out one day this week to rest. Trust God with everything else.
Have a blessed Monday!
Looking for more encouragement and inspiration? Check out these popular posts:
How to Take a Sabbath day… and Why
Inspirational Monday: Made to Rest
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