Sabbathing

 

Sabbathing is so hard.  Why?  Why is pausing such a challenge?  Why is resting so counterintuitive?

Like, literally, I knew I wanted to receive the gift of Sabbath this week—and every week.  (yes, New Covenant may or may not command this, but I believe it is a gift from God regardless).  

So I picked my 24 hours.  I meted my parameters.  And I cannot even count how many times I tried to justify squeezing work in and rest out of that day of Sabbath.   

About the third time a thought crossed my mind that well, maybe… I could just cut the rest day short by 2 hours so I could get groceries tonight OR maybe, I could just finish the church craft, that’s not hard right? etc, etc.. it hit me: this is a problem!  I need to stick to my Sabbath, here.  There are some major obstacles (from within and out) trying to stop me from this designation of stop.  

You know what all these temptations reveal, within me?  How much I actually think I can do things better my way!  

I used to think it was so silly, how hard it was for the Israelites to obey this day off!?  I mean, come on—God’s telling you to take a break, to chill.  And they wouldn’t. 

But I get it now.

And I’ve even seen the studies, the science that shows how on paper days off are beneficial to your work efficiency (not to mention your mental health, your family, company morale, etc).  On paper.  They hadn’t seen those studies.  And they were looking at the fields, and the calendars, and the looming seasons and having wayyyy bigger reasons than I do to excuse their “day off from a day off”.   Feed my family.  Pay the debt.  Survival.  I mean, that’s a lot more significant than the tasks I’m trying to squeeze in—popsicle stick crosses for Sunday school and birthday shopping for my daughter…

But the same pull is real.  

I should do it.  It’s going to work out if I do more.  And my way is better just this time. 

But it never pans out.  His commands are his gifts.  His ways are true.  Righteous.  And real.  

So I will fight the urges to DO. Accomplish.  Produce.  And I will work harder at resting.  Because I was made to receive the Sabbath.  

Not just so that I can see God miraculously multiply my efficiency on the other 6 days (though He can and does).  But so that I can practice the greatest muscle of all: the muscle of faith.    

Make every effort to enter that rest.   (Hebrews 4:9-11)

It is finished.   (John 19:28)