One of the keys God gave me when I started ‘Rejoice Always’ was to ‘Start with peace’. If there is a storm going on inside us, it’s hard to be joyful. But when peace reigns, joy can flow. That’s why peace is so important. But we all run into things that can be hard to process and let go off, while we try to fulfill the demands and tasks of the day. Having time with God daily helps a lot. But when we get a bit more distance and extra time in His presence, He goes deeper.
God rested on the 7th day (Gen. 2:2) and told us to do the same. We need the rest, but we also need the extra time, to allow Him to go deep into our hearts. The more we carry without being able to process, forgive and let go, the heavier it becomes. And the longer it goes on, the more it spills over into our lives and the people around us. So, when we set aside extra time with Him every week, He can go deep. It allows Him to heal us and help us let go of the heavy burdens. The Sabbath was not supposed to be once a year or once a month, or when we could find the time. It was supposed to be once a week.
How do we keep the Sabbath today?
For the Jews it was a tradition, and the Sabbath was a normal part of their lives. But how do we keep the Sabbath today?
I’ve been pondering this question for years, and I’ve tried several things to keep the Sabbath. Many Christians think of Sunday as a holy day for God. And many of the things intended for the Sabbath are fulfilled in church and with fellowship. But when you’re a leader or volunteer in church, Sunday often becomes so busy that it hardly feels like a day of rest. So, how do you keep the Sabbath in a world with so many things happening all the time, and where it’s hard to take a full day off?
I don’t have all the answers, and we all live different lives with families and circumstances to consider. And to really keep the Sabbath, we all need to seek God’s wisdom to find out what works in the situation and season we are in. But I have seen what it does to people – myself included – when there is no real time to rest in a way that allows God to go deep. A few hours here and there is good. But the Sabbath was supposed to be a full day.
Gordon MacDonald in his book “Ordering your private world” describes how he learned to do three things on the Sabbath. Look back, look up, and look forward. “Look back” is about evaluating, processing and celebrating the past week with God. “Look up” is about having focused time in worship and in the Bible. “Look forward” is about preparing for the week ahead and receiving God’s wisdom and insights in advance.
I have found these guidelines extremely helpful and rewarding. Looking back and up is where I find God going deeper in my heart and soul. I am also very much a planner and an analyzer, so these three principles fit perfectly for me. It might not fit for you, but even if it doesn’t, I still believe having a purpose for the Sabbath helps us stay focused and connected to God, while we rest.
I also make sure I’m refreshed body, soul and spirit on the Sabbath. My spirit is refreshed in worship and extra time in the Bible. My body is refreshed by rest, walks in nature etc. But with my soul it’s a bit different. I am usually very busy and have a strict schedule during the week. So, just having time to be spontaneous or do something I have wanted to do, but haven’t had time to do, can feel really refreshing. So, every Sabbath usually looks a bit different for me. But the way I’ve been able to keep the Sabbath lately, has filled me with so much joy. And I look forward to it every week.
The Sabbath is a gift
Keeping the Sabbath can go a long way to keep the peace. Because of rest and extra time with Him, He is able to work deeper in our hearts. No matter what the Sabbath looks like for each of us, and how we keep it holy, it will be a blessing. God gave it to us as a gift. “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27) It was so important to Him, that He even put it in the ten commandments. (Ex. 20) And like any other command God ever gave us, it was because He knew what was best for us. It was never about keeping us bound or trapped or making us feel guilty or condemned, if we didn’t keep His commands. On the contrary, He wants us to thrive and live our lives in the overflow of His mercy and love, filled with joy.
If you are on a journey like me, and have found tools that work for you in keeping the Sabbath, I hope you see the blessing it brings to all areas of your life. (I’ve actually never met anyone who prioritized and followed God’s lead to keep the Sabbath, that didn’t feel the blessing and joy it brought them.) But if you’ve never really thought about it or prioritized it, I would encourage you to give it a try. Ask God what will work in your life. It might require some sacrifices, but like David said in 2 Samuel 24:24, would we really want to give God something that didn’t cost us anything? God always honors our sacrifices. If you make time for Him, He will always meet you. He told us to keep the Sabbath, so it will always be a blessing when we do.
