Sabbath Rest is Important

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Lakeside scene with trees and a picnic table. The word REST in caps sits on the table. The scene should evoke a sense of peace.

Today’s post is a reminder that a Sabbath Rest is important.

God Rested

We know that God rested on the 7th day. He looked around and saw what He did. He enjoyed the moment.

Later in Scripture, Jesus is chastised by the religious leaders for letting his disciples pick and eat grain on the Sabbath. Jesus reminds them that, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27).

When Jesus says that the Sabbath was made for man to rest and refresh from a long week of work, He’s also reminding us that God did, too.. The Sabbath is a gift from God to people. If man were made for the Sabbath, we would be held hostage by it. We would be slaves to this day. But that’s not what God intends at all! He intends for us to take a break from our wearying work. He wants us to refresh our souls.

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What Does Rest Mean?

I’ve spent a lot of time over the last year studying Sabbath rest. I didn’t have to look very long to find there are many debates about this, and all make very good points. However, Bible commentaries tell us that this rest is designed for our bodies (after a long week of work) and our souls (after a long week of abuse). Between our bodies and our souls, this rest should be all-encompassing. At the heart of it all is love – God gave us the Sabbath out of love and we can use this rest to love Him back by loving His people.

Rest may look different for everyone. As a result of my research, here’s what I’ve come to: Rest looks different for all of us. What’s restful to me may not be restful for you. Baking is very soothing for my soul – so I’ll often bake a cake or cookies during my Sabbath rest. One of my friends finds baking terribly stressful. She’d rather eat cake on Sunday than bake it! And that’s totally okay. The key is to move away from your to-do list.

Take some time to do something you might not normally do for yourself. 💖

Sabbath Rest Ideas:

Take a nap
Read a book
Play with the kids
Watch a movie
Binge a show
Write a letter
Watch it snow
Call a friend
Make a craft

Restful Soul Care

We don’t often think of “soul care.” I greatly prefer this term to “self care.” When we care for our souls we are caring for htat part of us that connects deeply with God. Is this a new idea for you? Check out this book – I think you’ll love it! John Eldredge gives simple ideas to tend our souls.

Finally, whatever you do, embrace it. Don’t feel guilty. Don’t allow the list to derail your rest. Give yourself permission to just BE and enjoy the moment.

What will you do for rest today? Tell us in the comments. 🙂

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🌸 Andrea

PS: Are you struggling with finding peace and balance in the non-Sabbath days? Check out my webinar that walks you through creating your own perfect and unique balance for any season in your life.