Rediscovering the Sabbath: A Real Rest.
Ever feel like you need a mental health day? Just a break from the grind? It’s becoming more common for both kids and adults to take these days off to recharge. Some companies are even offering a week off to combat burnout. The company looks like a hero and employees are grateful. Sounds great, right? But aren't we just putting a Band-Aid on a deeper issue?
Because after that week is over, what happens? We jump back into the same exhausting routine. Whether we are working or not, we overbook our schedules. We have life demands that exceed a 24-hour schedule. That is an unfixable part of life that will not be redeemed in full until Christ's return: "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life" (Genesis 3:17).
So we go into fixing mode. We package up mental health days to recover from the painful toil. We sit criss-cross style and practice deep breathing, we take calming gummies to take the edge off, or numb ourselves with Netflix binges and apps with ocean sounds.
But isn't this just a superficial and temporary way of manufacturing a version of the Sabbath?
What if we took a step back and embraced the true rest, a rest that is not sleep, but a time to pause, worship, and recharge not just our bodies but our spirits. A cessation from the toil. Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27). It’s a gift for us, a remedy for our weary souls.
We make a mess of things when we try to take over and create a knock-off version of what God has already created. If we lean into this kind of rest, imagine the good gifts we'll find there.
Do you currently take a Sabbath day? If so, how has it impacted your life? if not, would you consider starting?
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