Sabbath rest is such a much-needed
part of life that we in the Western Christianity have largely ignored and at
times even criticize. We live in a
culture that rewards multitasking, long work hours, and an abundance of
activities. Even our vacations are so
busy and draining that people often say they need a vacation from their
vacation. Persons who know the art of
rest, rejuvenation, and Sabbath are often criticized as being lazy or weak. And yet I believe this is exactly how God has
wired us.
God provided the model of Sabbath
when He rested on the seventh day from all of His creating. When God gave the Israelites the Ten Commandments,
the longest of all referred to taking a Sabbath each week. Even their fields got a Sabbath 1 out of every
7 years in order to replenish and renew.
Peter Scazzero in his book “Emotionally Healthy Spirituality”
writes: “Sabbath keeping summons us to
slow down to God’s rhythm. For when we are busier than what God requires…we do
violence to ourselves… And in doing violence to ourselves, we are unable to
love others in and through the love of Christ.”
When we don’t take time to rest,
renew & rejuvenate; our bodies, minds and spirits begin to break down. We become shells of who God created us to
be. Instead of living at peace we become
anxious, instead being patient we become hurried, instead of forgiving we
criticize, and instead of loving we even begin to hate.
We often think that we will get
more done and be more productive with less Sabbath, and yet the opposite is
true. In the February 9th,
2013 edition of The New York Times Tony Schwartz writes: “A new and growing body of
multidisciplinary research shows that strategic renewal — including daytime
workouts, short afternoon naps, longer sleep hours, more time away from the
office and longer, more frequent vacations — boosts productivity, job
performance and, of course, health.”
People are finding out the truth of what God already put into place.
So how do we do this idea of Sabbath? Find time throughout each day to stop and be
renewed by God. Take a whole day each
week to be stop and rest. Take multiple
simultaneous days each year to be able to listen and be refreshed by His
Spirit. What should we be doing during
that time? Peter Scazzero writes that we
should stop, rest, delight (in his creation, other people, play) and
contemplate (focus on God). While this
can happen anywhere, Crossroads has provided Deep Woods (cabins, prayer walk
& trails) for this very reason.
Begin with small steps so that it won’t be an overwhelming
experience that soon goes by the wayside.
Learn from others that are practicing it well. Just do something, and by that, I mean at
some point stop doing and rest.
God
Bless!
Jason