Rest. Renewal. Slowing. Pausing. Peace. What comes to mind when you hear these words? Do you think of vacation or time off from work? Or do you, instead, think of some distant reality? In the chaos of life, rest and renewal have become hard to find.
Slowing and pausing are viewed as laziness. And peace is some wild, far-off idea. But it doesn't have to be. Rest and peace are available to you if you're willing to slow down enough to embrace them--if you're willing to practice the centuries-old practice of the Sabbath.
I didn't fully understand the Sabbath until I read the book, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, by pastor and author John Mark Comer. John Mark explains the etymology of the Sabbath in this way: "The word, Sabbath, comes to us from the Hebrew Shabbat. The word means 'to stop.' The Sabbath is simply a day to stop: stop working, stop wanting, stop worrying, just stop."
When was the last time you took time to simply stop? In today's culture, busyness has become the new norm, and everyone is constantly in a hurry. The Sabbath is viewed more as an old tradition and not a gift that's still alive and well.
So how do we reclaim the Sabbath? How do we get back to our roots--to this practice that dates to the beginning of time? To move forward, we must look back. Back to the moment that started it all--the very first Sabbath. Day seven of creation. The moment where the world's creator chose to rest from creating.
The Bible records this strange picture of God resting in Genesis 2:2-3 (NIV). It says, "By the seventh day, God had finished the work he had been doing; so, on the seventh day, he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy because, on it, He rested from all the work of creating that he had done."
That passage, short as it is, is an incredible example to us. God didn't need to rest because, well, He's God. But He rested to show us that we, too, need to rest. We weren't made for this nonstop life of hustle and hurry. Our bodies can't possibly keep going at this mad pace of life that we've become accustomed to. We were made to rest. And the Sabbath is the key to finding that rest.
Jesus frequently taught about the Sabbath, and the Bible often talks about Jesus going to lonely, quiet places to find rest and pray to His Father. One example of Jesus resting is found in Matthew 8:23-27, the story of Jesus sleeping on a boat while it's being tossed by the waves. While the disciples were panicking, Jesus was asleep. Although we don't know if this story takes place on the seventh day, it's absolutely a picture of the Sabbath. And it's a lesson for each of us.
The chaos of life will never stop. The waves are still going to crash. The storm is still going to rage. But even through the chaos and uncertainty, we can find rest. Like Jesus, we can take a nap on the boat.
Today, we're going to take a deep dive into the practice of the Sabbath and find ways that we can embrace rest in our day-to-day lives. No matter where you're at in life--whether you're working a full-time job and have three kids or you're a high school student living with your parents--you can practice the beautiful, life-giving art of the Sabbath. Let's jump in.
Taya, "Getaway"
When was the last time you felt God's presence? Was it while you were scrolling on social media or frantically getting ready for work in the morning?
Although God can indeed use any situation to reach us, I think we find His presence more in the quiet, still moments of life. Those times when our mind is clear, and our heart is open wide. Those peaceful moments when we can get away with Jesus. No distractions. No noise. Just us and our maker. When was the last time you felt like that?
There's a story in the Bible where the disciples became so busy that they didn't even get a chance to eat a meal. Sound familiar? If you were so busy that you forgot to eat breakfast this morning, you're in good company. The disciples are right there with you.
The disciples had returned from healing the sick and casting out demons (I guess you could say they were on some sort of "spiritual high.") When they had returned from exorcising, they told Jesus everything they had done (I imagine Jesus was excited, too). But He knew they needed to slow down and rest. They needed to reconnect with Him. In Mark 6:31 (NIV), Jesus says, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." In other words, Jesus was inviting them to get away with Him. To find rest and peace once again after all the busyness and chaos.
Rest and the Sabbath reorient us and reconnect us to our maker. That's the invitation He was holding out to the disciples, and it's the invitation He's holding out to you as well. To get away with Him.
Earlier this year, worship artist Taya released "Getaway," a song that beautifully captures the invitation of rest and the Sabbath. The song was written from Jesus' perspective, and the lyrics are filled with a longing for the creator to be with His creation. For the maker to be with what He's made. The chorus says, "Say what's on your heart, I already know it all/Doesn't matter what you say/Come and get away with Me/I know where you are, where you've been and what you've seen/Doesn't matter how you come/Come and get away with Me."
No matter who you are or what you've done, Jesus is inviting you to find rest in Him. Even if it's only for a few minutes, take time to get away with Him. Power off your phone and shut out the distractions. Simply be still with Him. Tell Him what's on your heart and what you're going through. He already knows everything going on in your life, but He wants to hear directly from you because you're His child, His beloved. He's longing to get away with you.
"Come and get away with Me/I know where you are/Where you've been and what you've seen/Doesn't matter how you come/Come and get away with Me."
Seph Schlueter, "Rest In Peace"
We've already talked about finding moments of the Sabbath and rest in our everyday lives. But, traditionally, the Sabbath wasn't just a few minutes or hours dedicated to rest and renewal. It was an entire day of rest. A full 24 hours set aside to spend time with family, friends, and, most importantly, Jesus. Going back to John Mark Comer's quote at the beginning, the Hebrew word Shabbat means to stop. To stop work. To stop the distractions. It's a day to simply be still and present with those you love. What would our lives look like if we practiced Sabbath today?
Getting into the habit of weekly practicing the Sabbath will take time. As humans, it seems counterproductive to take a full day to rest. There's so much we could be doing with those 24 hours, right? Contrary to popular belief, I think the most productive thing we could be doing is resting.
Without rest, our bodies won't function as they should. In fact, the harder we push ourselves, the less productive we'll end up being. According to a study from Stanford University, productivity begins to sharply decrease once you begin clocking in more than 50 hours of work. Rest is something we desperately need. This is why the Sabbath is such a gift.
Once again, we need to look at the life of Jesus to truly understand how we can embrace this gift of the Sabbath. One of my favorite passages in the Bible is Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV) which says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
It's yet another invitation: Jesus is holding out His hand and offering to help us carry the load. But notice the paradox in the verse--Jesus wants us to put on His yoke. Typically used in farming, a yoke is a wooden bar used to join animals so they can carry a load together. Yet Jesus says that's how we can find rest--by putting on His yoke.
If you're feeling weary and burdened, remember that you don't have to carry this load alone. Jesus is offering a way for you to find rest for your soul. But this rest can only be found if you put on His yoke--if you choose to do life with Him. And one of the best ways to do life with Him is through the Sabbath.
I know you're busy, and you're carrying a heavy load. But the only way to get relief is to step back and let Jesus carry it with you. Through the Sabbath and rest, we can find freedom and peace. In the words of Seph Schlueter's song, "Rest In Peace," "Come and rest/Come and rest in peace/Take a breath, take a step, take it easy/Let the weight leave your chest/Let it fall on me/Come and rest in peace."
I invite you to take hold of the gift of the Sabbath. Put on the easy yoke and let Jesus help you carry your burdens. Once you do, you'll never want to go back. For a full 24 hours this week, rest in the arms of Jesus. But don't stop there. Keep returning to the Sabbath and keep finding moments of rest in your day-to-day life. I promise you, you'll never be the same.
"Come and rest/Come and rest in peace/Take a breath, take a step, take it easy/Let the weight leave your chest/Let it fall on me/Come and rest in peace."
Dwell Songs & Aaron Williams, "Abide"
We've covered how to embrace rest in our day-to-day lives and how we can take an entire day of the Sabbath. But if we're being honest, seasons change. All of us are prone to fall back into busyness and stress if we don't keep our hearts in check. That's why we need to embrace an entire lifestyle of Sabbath. If you want to find lasting peace and fully embrace the rest that Jesus is offering you, you need to live each day abiding in Him.
Moments are going to come when it feels like Jesus is distant. But the truth is, He never moves. We're the ones who drift away from Him. We get distracted easily and fill our lives with noise. That's why we need to anchor ourselves and get into the habit of rest and the Sabbath. John 15:4 (ESV) says, "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me."
Jesus is already abiding in us. Once we accept Him as our Savior, He begins abiding in us. But notice the beginning of the verse. It says, "Abide in me, and I in you." It seems to me that it's up to us to abide in Him. He's already abiding in us, but we must make the continual choice to abide in Him. If we want the world to see Jesus in us, we must constantly choose to do life with Him.
My friend recently introduced me to "Abide," a song by artists Dwell Songs & Aaron Williams. The lyrics are all about this idea of abiding in Jesus and living for Him every day of our lives. The chorus says, "You're the way the truth and the life/You're the well that never runs dry/I'm the branch and You are the vine/Draw me close and teach me to abide."
Just like learning the practice of the Sabbath is going to take time, learning to abide in Jesus is also going to take time. No one does it perfectly, and there's no formula to get it right. But there's one thing I know for certain: once we take time to rest and spend time with Jesus, this concept of abiding and doing life with Him will come to a lot easier.
Whether you take ten minutes today to rest in Jesus or you decide to take an entire 24 hours this week dedicated to the Sabbath, I want you to know that Jesus is longing to be with you. He's longing to spend each day with you, and He's longing to spend an entire life and all of eternity with you. Yes, life is crazy. But we can rest in knowing that no matter what a day may bring, Jesus will be with us. I hope and pray that you choose to abide in Him. He loves you more than you could ever fathom.
"You're the way the truth and the life/You're the well that never runs dry/I'm the branch and You are the vine/Draw me close and teach me to abide."
Grace Chaves has been a fan of all things Christian music since 2016. She is NRT's news editor, and one of NRT's youngest writers. Homeschooled, Grace is an author, loves Jesus, concerts, and road trips.
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