Do me a favor. Read the below verse with two stipulations:
1) that the ten commandments are just as they sound, “commandments,” and..
2) forget all your opinions and biases regarding scripture. In other words, read the below passage with an open mind and think about what it means to you.
8“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
I was struck by the simplicity of this commandment and would argue that it applies just as much today as it did back when 2 million Israelites were wandering the desert. Think how fast the Earth took a leap forward in the last 2700 years when it comes to hurry?
In the movie, The Shawshank Redemption, Brooks Hatlen was finally released from Prison after being incarcerated from 1905 to 1955. He couldn’t believe how busy Americans had become in the 50 years since he’d been arrested. He said, “The world got itself in a big dang hurry.” He walked up and down the busy streets packed with automobiles as he looked for work. He had only seen one car when he was a kid, and now they were “everywhere.”
Think of the average Israelite 2500 years ago. They probably lived miles away from their neighbors, with no phones, computers, or televisions. Even a busy day would be spent mostly outside, with plenty of time to talk with those they are working with. Life required hard work, but it was much simpler. Think of how slow watching sheep full time would be? Now look at us today…
I have put together an 8 point list of some rules that I follow on my sabbath. A few disclaimers:
This are just recommendations; they won’t work for everybody, and they aren’t scripture.
I am not a master of rest by any means; I made this list because of how ugly of a person I become when I don’t have a rest day.
Here is the list of 8 points to try on your sabbath. I travel for work one weekend a month, and I definitely don’t do this every Saturday (some of you readers may have kids in sports, so you will have to be creative in how you apply these), but I try and have one day a week where I do the following:
Pray. Spend time just talking with God. After a busy week, slow down and restore your relationship. Focus on prayers of thanks and worship. This day should be peaceful and relaxing. Jews would even avoid prayers of struggle on the sabbath, which is okay to do! Sometimes even prayers stress me out (such as an upcoming event that you’re worried about). I set those aside on the sabbath – you can worry and pray about it later.
No work. Give yourself a break. This is a free pass from God, and science supports the increase in productivity you will gain from this rest. Leave the dishes in the sink and chill! Remember that the settlers on the Oregon Trail that took a day of rest ended up reaching the coast sooner, on average.
No screens. The effects of the constant buzz and typing in our phone, and the bombardment of ads and Hollywood, I think is more harmful than we know. Turn off your phone, close your computer, and then you’ll use that time to read something wholesome, or just sit in your living room and talk to your family.
Read supplemental material. Nothing beats the Bible, but if you take a day off, I recommend reading other Christian books that help your walk with Christ. Fell free to leave a comment below if you need some recommendations. My favorite is Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer.
Exercise. This does something more than the physical. I know when I go for a run, it really clears my head, reinforces discipline, and gets me outside. Studies also show it can do what anti-depressant drugs do, just without the harmful side effects.
Go somewhere. Being outside in creation helps you connect with God, and for those of us that sit in a cubical, it’s a nice change of scenery. We live in a beautiful area, and there are so many good hikes and bodies of water not far from here. Take the family out in some fresh air, and have your kids leave their phones in the car (just don’t get lost).
Reflection. This one is less tangible, but I think it’s healthy to have a day where you think about your standing with God. Are there any areas I’ve been slipping this week? How’s my relationship with my spouse? Ask Jesus if there are any blind spots in your life that The LORD wants to rid you of? If you have any addictions from your past, do you see any signs that you’re backsliding? Sabbath is a perfect time to let Jesus do an examination of you and your previous week.
Podcasts: Smart phones do have some benefits, like the abundant content on podcasts. You can pull up people from all over the world speaking on a variety of topics. I would do this in my apartment in Portland when I’d clean the kitchen. Check out John Mark Comer from Bridgetown church.
-Cody Goens