A Fresh Start in 2021: Finding Sabbath and Rest

Enjoy a Fresh Start in 2021 with this four-part series.
1. Taking Care of Me
2. Finding Sabbath and Rest
3. How to Change
4. Your Marriage

This month we are choosing a Fresh Start in 2021. So far we have looked at exercise and health as ways to take care of yourself. I also encouraged you to share your specific goals to ensure the changes happen.

In my personal study God then led me to verses on Sabbath and rest. I quickly discovered that God has provided us a way to find rest and take care of ourselves.

Sabbathing (Is that a word?)

My adult life has been an ongoing list of excuses where the Sabbath is concerned. The Sabbath was for the Old Testament. I’ve got too much to do. My children are too young for me to experience a Sabbath. I don’t need a day of rest.

But as I continue to study the Word, I see that I need a day of sabbathing – the act of observing the Sabbath. And God askes me to model this, as one of His 10 commandments, for my children (Deut 6:4-9).

Here are a few points about Sabbathing…

Sabbath was modeled by God (Creation Day 7)

Sabbath is a commandment and a gift from God

There were consequences for the Israelites for not keeping Sabbath (Babylonian exile – Read Daniel)

Sabbath is a day “set apart” (holy) and is to be different than the rest of the week

Sabbath is individualized and your Sabbath will probably look different than mine. What looks like work to one person may be refueling to another.

Sabbath is not a legalistic day to make sure you do “nothing,” but a day to love, encourage, spend time with family, do activities that refuel you and allow you to focus on God.

Sabbath is needed to refuel and be able to stand strong the rest of the week against the devil’s schemes

“Rest is essential to our spiritual formation. It’s very hard to tempt well-rested, healthy, happy people. Even more, when we’re well rested, love comes easily our of our inner being. From page two of the Bible (the sabbath story [Creation Day 7]) onward, rest is an essential component to living well in God’s world.” Rule of Life Workbook

Example Sabbath

Our family chooses to Sabbath from Saturday evening to Sunday evening. We attend church, spend time with friends, and do the activities that refuel us. I [try to] use Saturday as my a prep day for Sunday’s meals and the rest of the week, and to do laundry, clean, etc. Then we use Sunday night to finish the remaining prep for the week. Refueling for me is taking a hike, playing games, watching a movie together, taking a nap, working in the garden (yes, this is refueling), reading, creating, etc.

How to do you “remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy?”

Next Week: How to Change