How Can I Take A Sabbath?
Take Time, Part 2
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How can I take a Sabbath? That is a question I ask myself a lot. I feel like life is sometimes so busy that it is hard to just rest. Between working, doing house chores, prepping dinner, my husband coaching, and my son’s after-school activities, life can feel very overwhelming.
I have never liked sitting still, but sometimes I wonder if I am doing too much and not getting enough rest. It reminds me of the Bible story of Mary and Martha. When Jesus came to their home to visit, Mary was able to just rest at His feet, but Martha was busy doing all of the preparations for their dinner. Martha wanted Jesus to rebuke Mary for resting.
Luke 10:40 reads, “But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, ‘Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.’”
Jesus told Martha not to be upset about all of the details, but instead, the more important thing is to spend time with Him.
Being someone like Martha myself, I understand her frustration, but I’m continuing to learn the importance of resting. Recently, I have noticed that if I don’t take a break, I start to feel run down and even start getting sick more frequently…this causes me to lose quality time with family and friends, as well as miss out on God’s creation. So, what steps can I take to feel more rejuvenated?
I have never liked sitting still, but sometimes I wonder if I am doing too much and not getting enough rest. It reminds me of the Bible story of Mary and Martha. When Jesus came to their home to visit, Mary was able to just rest at His feet, but Martha was busy doing all of the preparations for their dinner. Martha wanted Jesus to rebuke Mary for resting.
Luke 10:40 reads, “But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, ‘Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.’”
Jesus told Martha not to be upset about all of the details, but instead, the more important thing is to spend time with Him.
Being someone like Martha myself, I understand her frustration, but I’m continuing to learn the importance of resting. Recently, I have noticed that if I don’t take a break, I start to feel run down and even start getting sick more frequently…this causes me to lose quality time with family and friends, as well as miss out on God’s creation. So, what steps can I take to feel more rejuvenated?
| I have never liked sitting still, but I’m continuing to learn the importance of resting... |
On Sunday, Andrew Archer talked about four important things that we can intentionally do to begin practicing a sabbath: stop, rest, delight and worship.
We can stop continually working and trust God to help provide for our needs. We can take a rest or break from work and know that we don’t have to prove our worth to other people by working constantly — our worth is shown by Jesus’ love for us and His death on the cross. We can delight in the beauty of God’s creation that He has set before us. And we can worship by keeping God in the center of everything we do, such as reading the Bible, prayer and connecting with like-minded believers to build each other up.
Taking a Sabbath can look different for everyone. I love to be outside, so resting for me is sitting by the bonfire, taking a walk and delighting in the beauty of God’s creation, passing a football with my son, going to sporting events with friends, or sitting on our porch and eating a meal together as a family. At night, I like to worship by reading my Bible before I go to bed, and that helps me unwind and rest.
How will you rest this week and help refuel your mind, body and soul?
We can stop continually working and trust God to help provide for our needs. We can take a rest or break from work and know that we don’t have to prove our worth to other people by working constantly — our worth is shown by Jesus’ love for us and His death on the cross. We can delight in the beauty of God’s creation that He has set before us. And we can worship by keeping God in the center of everything we do, such as reading the Bible, prayer and connecting with like-minded believers to build each other up.
Taking a Sabbath can look different for everyone. I love to be outside, so resting for me is sitting by the bonfire, taking a walk and delighting in the beauty of God’s creation, passing a football with my son, going to sporting events with friends, or sitting on our porch and eating a meal together as a family. At night, I like to worship by reading my Bible before I go to bed, and that helps me unwind and rest.
How will you rest this week and help refuel your mind, body and soul?
Author: Katie Lemley, Ministry Team Administrative Coordinator
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