Sabbath is one of those Christian words that gets thrown around a lot, but most people don’t really know what it means. So let’s explore that… What even is Sabbath? Why is Sabbath important? What does it mean to Sabbath? What should my Sabbath look like? These are all vital questions that we need answers to; after all “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy” (Exodus 20:8) is part of the Ten Commandments.

What is Sabbath and Why is it Important?

Sabbath came to be during the first week of creation. After creating the world, the animals, and the humans, God took a whole day off just to rest (Genesis 2:2-3). Something to keep in mind is that God doesn’t need rest; He’s all-powerful and can’t actually be exhausted or worn out. He chose to complete His week this way to be an example to us. Humans are made to work hard. God makes this clear by immediately placing Adam in the garden to work it and care for everything in it (Genesis 2:15). But work shouldn’t be our whole life. We need time to recharge and recuperate. We can’t go full steam ahead every day without crashing. We also need to spend time with our Creator who knows us better than we know ourselves. We need time to connect with our brothers and sisters. That is why God gave us the beautiful gift of Sabbath. As Jesus explained, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27b). God specifically crafted a special day for us so that we can rest and spend time with Him.

My Squad Mentor, Amy, also pointed out that while Sabbath has existed since the beginning of the world, it is not commanded to God’s people until they escape slavery in Egypt. This commandment is given to the Israelites to be a beautiful reminder of their freedom. Slaves are forced to work 24/7, but children of a King can take time to rest and spend time with Him.  

What Does it Mean to Sabbath?

In our crazy busy society, “rest” is a foreign word. We’re never taught what healthy rest looks like, so when need it, we tend to lean towards two extremes to try to cope. Most people either “push through” until their body literally forces them to slow down by getting sick or tanking their mental health or people will dissociate and shut down while distracting themselves by binging tv shows, books, social media, and the like. Unfortunately, neither of these extremes actually give us true, sustainable rest.

True rest can only be found in the presence of God. Resting on Sabbath means intentionally seeking out peace as you spend time with God, connect with your community, and have fun… which is a lot easier said than done. That’s why my next blog is going to give some practical tips that I’ve used to find rest on my Sabbaths.

That being said, please be praying for my team and I as we continue to quarantine. We’ve been struggling a bit to find the balance between resting when we need to and becoming lazy and letting the days slip away.

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping 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, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but He rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.”

Exodus 20:8-11