Sabbath or Self Care?
Genesis 2:2 says: "And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done."
In the whirlwind of voices telling us who and how to be, there are few things more confusing than the current messages about rest. There are two camps that seem to speak the loudest.
Camp 1 says: Grind! Work hard! Follow your dreams relentlessly and you will be successful!
Camp 2 says: Sleep more. Relax more. You deserve more time for yourself because you always show up for everyone else.
Now, there's not much that's inherently wrong with these attitudes if they're motivated purely by the goal of God's glorification instead of self-glorification. However, both of these worldviews can be pitfalls if we're wanting to live for ourselves instead of living for the things of God. This can put our ability and understanding of rest in jeopardy because it is something that God models and commands.
So what does the Bible say about rest?
Photo by Rodolfo Sanches Carvalho on Unsplash
3 Things to Know about Rest
1. God designed our rest to be timely.
The night of Jesus' crucifixion, Jesus led the disciples to a place called Gethsemane. The purpose of this solemn outing was to pray for what He knew was going to happen to Him--fast forward to just a few hours later, when Jesus would be arrested to stand an unfair trial and crucified on a cross by the very sinners He came to save.
The disciples would likely know this Garden of Gethsemane well, as it was a place they would visit frequently with the Lord. This particular night, they were supposed to be vigilantly prayerful with Him, because He was in distress about dying with all of the sins of the world on His shoulders. But, while generally faithful in following Him, they just couldn't keep their eyes open when Jesus asked them to.
There's a time for resting and a time for doing the Lord's work. For the disciples, this was definitely not the right time to be resting! Jesus wanted them to intercede for Him in prayer. Yes, He is God--but He was also human at that time; and in the face of death, anyone would be in very deep distress (see Luke 22:44). In times of darkness in our lives or the lives of those around us, it is important to be sensitive to those spiritual needs and lift them up to God in prayer. I'm sure you can think of several people in your own life who are struggling with something today. Take a moment to pray for them now.
2. God designed our rest for our good.
In Genesis 2:3, God rested from His work and blessed the Sabbath and made it holy. And because He rested then, we should also take time from our work to do the same. In our busy culture, it is important to seek (or carve out) some time for refreshment and rest so that we are strengthened again to continue God's work. It may take sacrificing things we want or even need to do, but it is Biblical, so it makes it worth it.
In Exodus 23:10-12, we see that the Lord commands the Israelites to observe the Sabbath for three specific reasons:
to give rest to the whole household (a weekly observance)
to preserve the soil for good growth (letting the land rest every 7 years)
to feed the foreigners and animals (a result of letting the land rest)
This proves that there is a divine order to everything, including times outside of work. The challenge is using that downtime to glorify God! He is our Provider, and in this passage, we see that as the Israelites obeyed His commands about the Sabbath, He provided them with bodily rest, stability of their food supply, and additional provision even to those outside the Israelites' care.
3. God designed our rest for His glory.
In the Old Testament, the Israelites were commanded to take a serious rest day after every six days of hard work. They followed that law almost too well. But In Mark 2:27-28, Jesus boldly (and rightly) declares that He is Lord of the Sabbath. He was stating that His authority superseded the Law, and the religious leaders of that day really had a problem with that!
But what does that mean for us? All of us who are believers in Christ are granted peace and rest in this life, and in the life ahead. When we entrust our lives to the one true God, we are surrendering our desire to be in control of what happens in our lives, and trusting God to lead us step by step. So, we can rest assured of our salvation, and we can rest in His presence anytime, no matter how crazy life gets.
You may have heard of Susanna Wesley, the woman who was famous for putting her apron up over her head whenever she spent time with the Lord in prayer. Everyone in her family understood that this was her sacred time with the Lord, and didn't disturb her. By the way, her family included a husband and 10 kids!
God is with us always, and only He can be our true lifeline to help us take a step back and refresh our spirits. Spiritually speaking, trusting is resting. Whatever you do, do it for God's glory (Colossians 3:17), including resting. Include Him in your everyday and in your everything.
But How?
I've got errands, kids, midterms, ministry, meal prep,...how can I rest when I have so much on my plate?
Here are five practical ways you can incorporate some godly rest into your busy life today.
Put down your phone and pick up your Bible. Journal about what you read to help you remember and apply what God is teaching you. Downtime is always best spent in the Word and out of trouble. Or doomscrolling.
Plan your rest like you plan your tasks. Make time on your calendar for some well-needed rest, and space out some of your responsibilities if you can. If you haven't yet, designate some time with God every single day. It doesn't have to be hours on end—meditating on Scripture for just 10 minutes a day is a great place to start!
Personally, I work a 9-5 and love reading the Word during my lunch break. It's a midday spiritual pick-me-up that encourages me to finish out the rest of the day well. If you're a morning person, try getting up a few minutes earlier to read and study. If you're not a morning person, try to get alone with God sometime in the evening. Seeing your relationship with Him as an essential part of your life can help you prioritize your other tasks around that special time.Pray for growth if this is an area you struggle with. It's very easy to get caught up in life and to forget about God, but He is a very present help in time of need (verse), and we absolutely need to rely on, consult, and include Him in every part of our lives, even simple things like doing laundry.
Take a walk. This may not really sound like resting—but most of the busyness in our lives continues on in our heads long after we've clocked out. Take a walk to calm your mind and help you sort things out. Even better, turn it into a prayer walk by praying for yourself and others!
Think of rest as rejuvenation, not escape. If you have a relationship with God but are feeling empty, remember His promises of satisfying all your needs in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). If you do not have a relationship with God, now is the time to repent and find your rest in Him today.