Honor The Sabbath And Keep It For Catch Up

Sabbath was just “a day off.”

After an episode of Let’s Make A Deal (if you aren’t into this show, it’s a you problem), I’d hit the list…

Mow the lawn. Trim the bushes. Clean the garage. Run the laundry. Throw an hour into an unfinished project (the one that I came out of the gate excited about and now, I want that thing cast into Sheol).

Brother, just try and tell me you and I aren’t living the same life…

Fridays (my “Sabbath”) equaled errands, yard work, emails, and catching up on all the things I hadn’t finished. I told myself I was “resting,” because somehow these were “restful” (lie). But my soul wasn’t breathing.

Then came my kids wanting to disrupt my, “I have to get this done so the neighbors don’t hate me” list, asking if we could go on a hike in Dahlonega (which, if you haven’t been and you’re looking for a great retreat to… you know… Sabbath… it’s a great spot in the North Georgia mountains). Young man, young lady… Your dad has plans and avoiding an HOA fine, and making sure the staples of my wardrobe are clean are at the top of the list.

Things. Have. To. Be. Done.

So About This Whole Sabbath Thing

God set the Sabbath apart at creation. Not as a burden, but as a gift.

“The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” -Mark 2:27

It’s God’s rhythm of grace. A weekly reminder that we’re not in control, He is. It’s the belief that (get ready for a lump in your throat and a sickness in your belly) God can do more in 6 than you can do in 7.

Pete Scazzero says,

“Sabbath is a 24-hour block of time in which we stop work, enjoy rest, practice delight, and contemplate God.”

That’s not mowing the lawn. That’s not answering emails. That’s not scrolling on your phone all day. That’s delight, joy, stillness, and worship.

Practical Rhythms

So what does it look like?

For my wife and I, Sabbath has become sacred “slow” time. No ministry talk. No rush.

We take family walks, play games, watch a movie all huddle on the couch… or go hiking in Dahlonega. You get the picture.

Sometimes I nap. Sometimes I get into a movie I’ve been looking forward to. Most regularly, I go to Jiu Jitsu (fighting the urge to pitch you to try it). Always, I am intent on remembering that God runs the universe better than I do.

And YES, it does takes discipline! To borrow from John Maxwell, “Everything worth having is uphill.”

You’ll be tempted to pick the phone up, to squeeze in “just one more thing.” But Sabbath won’t just happen. You have to fight for it. Protect it with the same resolve you protect your Sunday pulpit.

That Good Hurt: Last 10%

Brother, our Sabbath… is it truly RESTORING YOUR SOUL?

Or is it just another workday in disguise?

No one in your life needs a version of you who never stops. Nor do they need to model a faith that lives from a inner, hidden belief that is tethered to, “If it’s going to happen, it’s all on me.”

They need one who is a son of the Father, alive, refreshed, and rooted in his truest identity. Sabbath is not weakness. It’s worship. And if you don’t honor it, you will pay for it (jab landed). So will your wife (cross connects). So will your kids (upper cut for the finish).

The God who commanded you to preach also commanded you to rest.