How to find your Sabbath rest when you’re busy

Last Updated on February 4, 2025 by Andrea

In my dream world, my Sabbath rest looks like this picture. Reality is often a bit different!

What is Sabbath?

The idea of Sabbath has been central to the faith and practice of the people of God since the Old Testament. Instituted in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:8-11), the day of rest was set apart as holy—a time for ceasing from work and focusing on worship. This day was modeled after the rest God took on the seventh day of the week, after He was done with creation. Throughout Scripture, we see the Sabbath as a gift, providing renewal for both body and soul.

In the New Testament, Jesus Christ deepened our understanding of this sacred rhythm, reminding us that “the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27). Further, we know that Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:1-8). But what does this mean for us today? How should believers embrace the Sabbath in a fast-paced world? In this post, we’ll explore the significance of Sabbath rest and how we offer practical ways we can apply its biblical principles in our daily lives.

But what about life?

I know, life continues even when we are called to take a Sabbath rest. The to-do list is never ending and people always seem to need something from us. We have our own work to do, too. We have grocery shopping to accomplish, a house to clean, laundry to process, and a host of other activities that can’t get done during the week when we are working. The human experience is one of busyness. Yet effective time management can help you transition to a day of rest when you observe the Sabbath.

When to observe the Sabbath?

This question is tricky. I’m not a seminary graduate (though I wish I were!) nor am I a theology expert. I can only tell you what I know from reading Scripture and studying the topic. The gift of Sabbath rest is just that – a gift from God. Some say that we should celebrate Sabbath when the Jews did – Friday night at sundown through Saturday night at sundown. Others claim Saturday is Sabbath, while still others claim that Sunday is the Sabbath. Who is right?

The best answer I have is to go with your faith community on this. Different Christian communities celebrate Sabbath on different days – generally evidenced by when they have their primary church worship celebrations. If you don’t belong to a faith community, I recommend Sunday as Sabbath. That follows many Christian communities and is a natural pausing point after what are often busy Saturdays.

The important point is to place yourself in God’s care, no matter when you observe the Sabbath. Consider it a day of worship, dedicated to God. This is the day the physical world takes a break and you embrace a true Sabbath rest.

What to do for Sabbath rest?

The concept of Sabbath rest confuses a lot of people, and I’ll delve into it in the coming weeks, particularly as it relates to our families. Sabbath keeping doesn’t have to be complicated. The bottom line is that it starts with detaching from the busyness the world forces on us and turning instead to God and our families for a break from all that.

Focus on the Family reminds us that celebrating a Sabbath rest is not about some legalistic mandate of Sabbath rules, but rather a respite from the craziness – and a willingness to accept the gift God gave us. The importance of Sabbath is in the rest – stepping off the hamster wheel and just embracing God’s invitation to BE. We want to be spending time with God, those we love, and embracing the opportunity to have physical rest as well as spiritual rest.

For now, take a minute to consider what it means for you to REST. Don’t worry about the rest of the week.

Just today. Just Sunday.

What would it look like for you to take a break and really let yourself rest?

Share some ideas in the comments below! There are lots of ways we can find rest, and maybe someone else has the idea you’ve been looking for. 💖

Rest well,

🌸 Andrea

Did you find this post interesting or helpful? If so, please share it – you can use the social buttons below.

When friends share posts they are telling Google that the site is worth showing to others – and that helps build my small business. Thank you for sharing!

Resources

The Rest of God: Restoring Your Soul by Restoring Sabbath is about restoring stillness and enjoying an abundant life. The author (Mark Buchanan) is both a pastor and professor, so he brings a wealth of knowledge to this book.

This book is one of my very favorites. I’ve read it time and again and I’ve completed the study several times. Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World: Finding Intimacy With God in the Busyness of Life is all about focusing on God instead of the busyness.

While not specifically about Sabbath, this book is a treasure. It focuses on restoring our souls by really connecting with God. And seriously, if that’s not the point of Sabbath, I don’t know what is. Get Your Life Back: Everyday Practices for a World Gone Mad is a fantastic read. It, too, has a study guide. I’ve completed it and found it very helpful to apply the concepts he discusses in the book .