The word Sabbath comes from the word rest found in Genesis 2:2 when the Lord rested on the seventh day after He finished His work of creation. It means to be still, to stop all work, and to celebrate.
When the Lord made the Sabbath a commandment, the children of Israel took it to a religious extreme. Because of this, not many people practice Sabbath because they think it’s just an Old Testament law that frustrates the grace of God.
However, when Jesus came, He challenged the religious thinking of the day. I’m glad He did because He took away the religiosity and made it about our relationships with God and our relationships with ourselves.
Mark 2:23-28 says, One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. And the Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?” And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”
His words took the focus of Sabbath of the law and put it on the needs of the people.
We all need rest from our works but rest is not always convenient. More important is meeting basic human needs with compassion. God made Sabbath for us to create a rhythm of rest in our lives so we don’t burn out mentally, physically, or emotionally.
In this episode of Holy Calling podcast, I’m sharing in more detail the call to rest and practice Sabbath.
Practicing the Sabbath is the truest form of self-care.
We all need to rest from our work – not just physically but also mentally and emotionally – at least one day per week, so we refresh our spirits.
Three reasons we all need to practice self-care.
- When we practice Sabbath we learn to stop working on EVERYTHING and let our minds as well as our bodies rest.
- This brings us into the stillness our souls need to truly rest and be refreshed. We are able to reconnect and receive from the Vine.
John 15:4-5 says, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”
3. But let’s not forget that Sabbath is also a time to celebrate! We celebrate that we finished our work for the week.
You celebrate by doing things that brings joy to your soul. When you’re rested and you spent time reconnecting with the Father through His Son Jesus, then do something your soul loves. Spend time with family and friends. Make time for your hobbies, or to treat yourself to the things that make feel good about yourself.
Beloved, God wants you to practice Sabbath, even if you can do it on Saturday or the same day each week so that you can be your best for yourself and the people you love and stay connected to the Vine that nourishes your spirit.
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