“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.” -Exodus 20:8-10
Are you BRAVE enough to sabbath?
Yes, you heard that question right.
Do you take a weekly rest day? A day to put aside all your work and fully rest in the presence of the Lord?
Sabbath doesn’t have to be on Sunday; but I encourage you to pick a day and stick to it.
Make it a time to stop working, turn your phone off and out of sight, stop cleaning, halt your laundry and grocery shopping, and maybe even consider scheduling a large gap in time that day to step away from everyone else.
For me, back in Austin, my ideal sabbath looked like going to church, having lunch with friends, and then spending the afternoon and evening alone with Jesus at a park or Barton Springs.
Did I always do that? No.
Would I make it a major priority to do so now? YES. A resounding yes.
God created Sabbath and commanded us to take it for our betterment:
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To make restful intimacy with Jesus a priority
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To receive rest and renewal for our bodies, minds, and souls
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To avoid idolizing work
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To trust God as our provider, rather than laboring in vain
I firmly believe we will never experience the fullness of what God has planned for each of us if we refuse to sabbath.
Why is this commandment viewed with a lesser-importance than the other commandments?
After all, the root of obeying this commandment is loving and trusting God. If we followed this commandment well, we would be people of action over words; we would be pausing to put Jesus first, showing we love him, respect him, and trust him.
So why does it seem acceptable for us to give these lame excuses in refusing to sabbath—or for haphazardly sabbathing?
“Yeah, okay, maybe I’ll start taking a sabbath soon.”
“Well I can’t plan for it this week because I already have plans, but next week I’ll try my best!”
“Yes, I should do Sabbath better, but I just can’t right now.”
What?! This is absurd! Church, wake up!
We are put on this earth to love God and serve God.
Why are we not making Jesus our first priority in everything we do?
Why aren’t we following a command God has so clearly made for us—and more importantly—for His glory?
Where is your heart in this? Do you desire to sabbath so that you can rest in the presence of the Father and know His heart deeper?
Take the time to sabbath intently.
Be brave.
Yes, it takes bravery to sabbath; at times, you’ll likely have to sacrifice work or money to honor this sacred time and space.
But trust me, friend, it is worth it.
Don’t wait; don’t put this commandment on the back burner of your mind—because it is of utmost importance.
“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
Thanks for this encouragement!