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It’s been awhile since I’ve mentioned Sabbath. If you’ve missed it, after playing with the idea for years, a decade ago Lori and I started making Wednesday our Sabbath. It’s a day of rest for our bodies and our minds. It’s a day to rest, and to love each other, family, friends, and God.
I recently missed Sabbath for the first time in ten years! I was attending an out-of-state preaching workshop, and was gone from early Monday to midnight Friday. There was just no way to do Sabbath that week. And let me tell you, I really felt not having it! I was fine on Wednesday and Thursday, but by Friday I was starting to feel it. I could feel it because I know what’s it feels like to get the rest.
And then after a normal Sabbath, the next week we pushed Sabbath to Thursday. We’ve done it a day early or late a handful of times when absolutely necessary. This time it was necessary because we were needed for grandchild watching. While we enjoy doing that, it’s not a day-of-rest activity! So on what would normally be our Sabbath, I did a lot of heavy work outside – with “help” from a five-year-old. This after doing heavy physical work, several of the preceding days. When I climbed into bed that night, I was more tired than I have been in a very long time. And again, I knew it was bad because I know how it feels when I do it right.
When I used to just go, go, and keep going, without taking a real day of rest, I had no idea how much it was hurting me. I couldn’t feel it because I had no reference point. Now that I have a well rested reference point, I’m very much aware when I go too long without such a rest.
If you’re on 24/7, you have no way of knowing when you have pushed too far. You put yourself at risk of a physical or mental breakdown because you’re unable to feel yourself getting close to those things. Beyond that, being that busy is bad for your health, the health of your marriage, your relationship with family and friends, and your relationship with God.
God commanded Israel to take a Sabbath because He knew they needed it. We’re not under the law and can ignore that wisdom, but we do so at our own peril.
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I struggle with observing the Sabbath on a day other than the seventh day of the week, even though I grew up observing it on the first day. As my wife and the church we attend are firmly settled on Sundays and as I am not certain that the days of the week as we know them match up with the old Hebrew calendar, I have always gone along with it. Still, the reason given for the change never sat well with me and I would prefer to observe a Saturday Sabbath.
The reasons above plus the argument that, while God commands us to work six days and rest one, He doesn’t command that it be our modern calendar’s Saturday, have been my consolation. I have always observed Sabbath one day out of seven and I try to do so restfully as I can. Others close to me think I rest more than is necessary, I dare say you may be more careful than even I am. I do not view watching after family as breaking the Sabbath. That’s a new one for me. I meet enough resistance pushing for easier/less labor intensive Sunday dinners. lol
@Pa’dam – In a world where most don’t take a Sabbath, I have no issue with what day someone chooses.
One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. ~ Romans 14:5 English Standard Version
When we started, I got grief from my superior – a Christian in a Christian ministry. But we both answered to a man who was good with it.
It’s not that watching the very active five-year-old breaks the Sabbath, I just know I can’t really rest when he’s with us. And rest is one of the goals In a few years, it won’t be an issue. Watching just his nine-year-old brother would be fine.
That makes sense. Little ones can require more energy sometimes.
The passage you shared is quite appropriate, too. I am slowly and carefully untangling truth from tradition. Much that I was taught isn’t in Scripture at all. Some you can almost find if you stand on one foot with your tongue to one side (obviously I’m being silly with that one). Some were specifically for the nation of Israel under the old covenant. Some are truly there, though many churches overlook them. Some things in Scripture seem to get ignored completely.
Trying to find God’s narrow way in the middle of it all is sometimes maddening and usually a swim against the current. So many of my lifelong struggles were unnecessary, if I had only known the truth. So, I keep asking the Holy Spirit to teach me what I need to know and for wisdom, discernment, and tact. I still have so much to learn