Re-Learn What Sabbath & Rest Means

I am working on a new book project that I can’t tell you TOO much about but I wanted to share a little with my friends…

I like so many of us grew up in the church. I am a pastor’s kid and my grandpa was a missionary. So I feel like “the church” runs through my veins. I love the church and love the church I attend. 

But I was recently thinking about the lessons I learned in church and the lessons I am having to re-learn and teach differently to my kids. Like purity culture. I want to teach my kids to stay pure for marriage but how we talk about it is so different. Even 18 years into marriage there are a few things from purity culture that have crept up and we have had to settle it’s hard to unlearn what was once ingrained. So then I was thinking about the lessons I didn’t learn. 

I didn’t learn how to love my body. I learned to hide it. I didn’t learn how to dream or set goals, I learned that God’s plan was enough…but what is God’s plan and how do I find it?! And I didn’t learn how to rest.

The Bible talks a TON about rest and calls us to find rest. But how?! This was a lesson missing in my churched upbringing.

So let’s talk about rest today.

Let’s take a deep breath together and figure out how we can find rest as busy, working moms

Genesis 2:2-3

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. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy because on it God rested from all His work that he had done in creation.

Exodus 20:8-11

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

Leviticus 25:4

But in the seventh year, there shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath to the Lord. You shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard.

1 Peter 5:7

Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

John 16:33

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.

Ok, all of these verses remind us to work for 6 days rest for 1.

To cast our cares on the lord because he cares. And he knows our struggle yet we still rest in him because he won!

I think about how strange sleeping is sometimes. I think we talked about this with my friend Michelle Meyers when we talked about Ecclesiastes you can listen to that episode I’ll link it in the description. But sleeping is so strange, right? We get cozy, we close our eyes and we trust that in 6-8 hours we wake up. Rested and renewed.

Now, what do you do to prepare yourself for sleep?

I wash my face, brush my teeth, and turn on my heating pad. But even before I go to my room, I prepare my house. I locked up the dogs, closed and lock the doors, turn off all the lights, and prepare my house for sleep. I prepare my body for sleep.

When we look at that not working and actually resting looks like for one day. It can be really overwhelming.

Some people have really strict no work at all. No laundry, dishes, chores nothing. No screens, just rest.

I am not lying when I think about that I get a little antsy. And just assume that Sabbath is not for me. But that’s not true. We can find a way to make sabbath our own.

First, we have to prepare for it. Start by asking yourself, what does rest look like for you and your family?

Can that happen on a Saturday or a Sunday? Or do you need it to be on a different day of the week?!

For me and my family, it would probably be best on a Saturday. BUT we are now in a season where the kids work a lot on the weekends so I have to ask myself, what is more, important modeling this for them or legalism and forcing them to rest?

I think modeling and disciplining are where I will land.

Ok, set the day. We are going to Sabbath! Hooray! Set the time. In Jewish culture, it’s Friday evening sunset to Saturday sunset. Often times the timing is marked by the lighting of a candle and a liturgy. (a prayer) and closed by blowing out the candle and a prayer.

But what happens Friday before sunset?! Preparation.

If you know you are going to be out of town and not at work what do you do? You prepare.

What if we took time to prepare for rest?! Sent that last email. Closed some open loops, My friend Jess Massey talks about open loops being those tasks that we just need to get done. Like calling the dentist, picking up the prescription, those looming tasks. So take Friday and close those loops. Grab or make dinner. Prepare for rest.

And then what?!

Rest.

Know that God truly cares for you, your family, and all that you care about. He knows and cares and he can carry them for you.

You may not be able to fix it but you can lay it down and rest in the fact that Saturday evening it will still be there.

What if we rested like we were called to do?

What if we took this lesson that wasn’t taught a lot to us and taught it to our kids?

Do you think they would have a better or stronger trust in God and his word?

We close our eyes at night and trust that we will wake up. What if we walked away from tasks, striving and doing for 24hrs and trusted that we will be able to come back to it

How would that build your faith?!

So a few thoughts as we wrap up…

What is keeping you from Sabbath?

How can you take baby steps? It doesn’t have to be ALL or nothing! It can be a slow and steady climb to finding weekly rest.

What does incorporating your family look like?

What would preparation look like?

How would laying down and resting weekly change your faith and family?
Why not try it?!

I would love to hear