A Battle Worth Fighting …

Last week, I blogged on my need to re-establish the Sabbath.  Then Saturday came.  Being in ministry eliminates Sunday as an option.  Having a teenager who enjoys high school football eliminates Friday as an option.  Being an American eliminates Monday through Friday as an option.  So there I was on a Saturday.  A little bit of stress set in.  I am not supposed to work today.  Should feel freeing, right? Instead, I was conflicted.  Certainly I want a mental and physical break, but Sunday and Monday are quickly coming.  Does the chicken theory (see last Thursday’s post) really work?The answer is Yes.  The chicken theory is actually God’s instructions, so it does work.  But how do we get there?  And what does it really mean to honor the Sabbath?  Are we to return to no electricity on Saturday?  Sorry, I am not in on that one.  I treasure warm water and air conditioning.  So I have 2 ideas.  I hope they help:

• Let’s define the purpose of the Sabbath:

What does it really look like to observe the Sabbath? What are we really trying to accomplish? Taking a day to rest acknowledges that our strength is not enough and never will be.  Resting acknowledges that God’s way is best. He calls us to rest because He knows we need it physically, mentally, and spiritually.  The Sabbath is a day to be grateful to God for His faithfulness and to rest in His provision.  It is a day to remember that we are dependent upon the Lord.  What this looks like for each family will differ, but here are some questions that you want to be able to say yes to – Did you allow your body to rest?  Mentally, did you slow down and reflect upon God’s goodness in your life?  Did you spend time in the Word and prayer?  If you can say yes to these questions, then I think it is safe to say that you have observed the Sabbath.

• Let’s not let legalism keep us from experiencing rest:

A Sabbath will not just happen.  We must be intentional to plan and prepare.  We must say no to things and guard our schedule.  Most of the culture will not cooperate with the fact that you are trying to unplug for one day each week.  What frequently happens is that if something creeps up on our scheduled Sabbath, we get frustrated and cancel the whole plan. Don’t allow the fact that you can’t take a whole day keep you from having any Sabbath.  It is better to have rested and worshipped some than not at all.It is only when we choose to obey the Lord’s command to honor the Sabbath that we come face to face with how much fights against us being still.  In the stillness, we will get a greater view of our God and build a greater appreciation for how much we need the rest He commands us to take.  Give it a shot this Saturday… you won’t regret it!