I remember the first time I heard a sermon on practicing Sabbath. I was a young mom with three small children at home. I ran my own business and had multiple irons in the fire. Rest was not something I knew how to do, ever. The Sunday morning I heard our pastor say that we are all called to practice Sabbath, my mind was blown. I didn’t feel like I could rest for an hour a day, much less an entire day each week. My kids didn’t stop needing to be fed and bathed, laundry and groceries needed attention, and any spare moments when I wasn’t tending to the kids, I was trying to squeeze in work so we could afford extras like soccer or gymnastics lessons. How in the world was it possible to stop everything for an entire day?
I stayed after the service that morning with my pastor, expressing my confusion and asking for advice. He gave some suggestions, but nothing he said helped ease the tremendous responsibility I felt or helped me to understand where I could let go of things. Ultimately, I left the conversation feeling guilty and defeated (my fault, not his), but nothing else changed that day.
Roughly twelve years have passed since I heard that sermon, and I am grateful that God did not give up pursuing my heart on the subject of rest. After giving me time, teaching, and mentoring, the Lord worked on me to show me that Sabbath was something He desired even for a busy mom like me because it wasn’t about learning how to give up chores and work; It was about learning to trust that God is God.
When I look back on that first introduction to Sabbath and what it looks like in today’s busy world, what I needed someone to explain to me was not the definition of the word or the legalism behind it; it was the heart. I needed to hear that God’s purpose in commanding the Sabbath was to lovingly teach dependence. It isn't a controlling rule; it is a loving command.
Everyone has their own roadblocks to true, restorative rest. For me, the roadblocks have typically been fear and control. I sometimes feel like if I lean into rest, my world will fall apart. This was especially the case when I was a young mom with littles who depended on me every minute of the day. It was true that some tasks wouldn't go away just so I could rest: Kids still had to eat. Potty accidents still required attention. Little bodies still needed assistance with basic tasks. But there were lots of things that could have been put on hold for one day each week, and I couldn’t see that. I could have chosen to trust that everything would be okay if we didn’t do laundry and instead went on a family walk. It would have been alright to let the messes pile up for one day and then tackle them together the next morning. It could have been great to spend extra time reading scripture while the kids played and let myself “accomplish” nothing (as if sitting with Him could ever be a waste of time!). But back then, I believed I was too important. I felt like the world would stop spinning if I slowed down.
What I’ve come to understand over these last years of practicing Sabbath is that God always wants His rightful place, and part of keeping Him on the throne in my heart is fighting the urge to control every detail of my life. I believe I am called to give my best to my work and my family, AND to one day a week practice holy resistance. Instead of “accomplishing,” I can choose to believe that it will all be okay if I rest and delight in Him.
Today, with self-sufficient kids, Sabbath looks like an extra-long, unhurried quiet time with God. It looks like a weekly mid-morning coffee date with my husband and other things that bring joy, like a long walk, delicious food, a good book, a nap, a lunch date with a friend, or some time coloring or doing needlepoint. It looks like gratitude and delight. Would it have looked exactly the same twelve years ago? Definitely not. But was rest within reach even then? Undoubtedly. Because if the God of the universe rested, so can I.
There are many teachers out there wiser than me who give great advice on how to make Sabbath meaningful and holy, and their tips and suggestions are super helpful. (If you’ve never read The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer, I highly recommend it.) But at the end of the day, there isn’t a formula to share on how to do it because, at least for me, it is simply a change of position. I have to get off the throne of my life and let God rule. It is a gift, not a requirement, and that gift has changed me.