Remembering the
Sabbath
By Brita Crouse
“For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the
sea, and all that is in them, but He rested on the seventh day. Therefore the
LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.”
Exodus 20:11 (NIV)
I have known the commandment about keeping the Sabbath holy
since I was very young, but it wasn’t until college that I began taking it
seriously. I would purposefully take a day off from homework, usually Saturday
or Sunday, and spend time developing my relationships with others and with God.
Now, most people would be happy to take a day off from
homework... but, for me, a grad student, it was really difficult. If I wasn’t doing
anything, I felt guilty because I knew I had so many things to get done.
However, God quickly took my perspective of the Sabbath and turned it around,
and I started to see it as a huge blessing.
In a productivity-based culture, it is hard not to
feel guilty if you take an entire day off to rest. We are made to believe we
are lazy and a detriment to society if we are not always pushing ourselves and
working harder. That is such a lie!
I have found after taking an entire day to rest and spend time
with God, I am much more productive and make better use of my time. I also feel
more rested and closer to God after intentionally taking time to spend with
Him. God didn’t give us this commandment for nothing. Even He took a day off to
rest... after creating the entire universe!
After graduating, my Sabbath practices changed a little. Instead
of giving up homework, I tried to stay off of Facebook and email. I’d take a
nap, to give my body physical rest. I would spend quality time with my family.
I would make a point to tell my employers that Sundays are off-limits for
working. I took bike rides or would go for a run to enjoy God’s creation. And,
most importantly, I would take a large portion of the day to spend time with
God, the One who allows me rest.
I’m definitely not perfect with my Sabbath practices, but I can
notice a huge difference in my attitude and work ethic when I feel well-rested,
not only physically, but mentally and spiritually as well.
Rest in God’s presence and He will restore your spirit!
GOING DEEPER:
1. Practice the Sabbath for the next month. Make a
list of differences you notice in your attitude and level of productivity.
2. What are things you can give up one day out of the
week to help you keep the Sabbath holy?
FURTHER READING:
Brita is a licensed
K-12 School Counselor and works as the Non-Public Counselor in Roseville,
Minnesota. For the past eighteen years, she has called Oakwood her home church.
