This past Saturday I made a pledge to myself to not do anything that has any association with what I do for a living. This meant I didn’t blog, didn’t Twitter, didn’t Facebook, didn’t read, didn’t check my email and didn’t even think about work!
The reason I did this was because I have had a couple of intense weeks that have drained me! I realized over the last couple of weeks I have been breaking a commandment of God that had left me tired and worn out! This commandment was to, ‘Keep the Sabbath Holy!’ Growing up I always thought the Sabbath meant going to church, not doing much physical activity, not going shopping and things like that. As I study the bible more and more I realize we have a totally wrong view of the Sabbath. The Sabbath means a period of rest from your labors! Meaning it should be a day set apart where you are not connected to your work life! The more I study this command of God the more I realize God made this day a commandment because us humans find it very hard to rest.
God knew working seven days a week was impossible for us to handle. Even though we may think it is strong and hard working to work seven twelves, in God’s eyes it shows a lack of wisdom. At times we think we can push our bodies, but God knows different. He even went a step further to say, this day shall be kept ‘holy’ (Exodus 20:10), meaning you shall set this day apart above any other.
We need our sabbath. I have heard a lot of people lately say, ‘the sabbath was given for man, not man for the sabbath’. This is so true! We need a day to recharge. It is important, no matter how busy we are to set aside one day out of seven to rest, recharge and step away from what consumes us for the other six days of the week.
As this day is a day to recharge, it is just as important to do things on this day that recharge you! The batteries in your remote may have died, but just taking them out of the remote and giving them ‘rest’ from the remote is no good to the battery or the remote. The battery needs to spend a couple of hours in the charger!
What is your charger? Mine will look very different to yours. This weekend I took my sabbath, I recharged and felt good. The hard thing will be to follow the commandment to do it again in another five days!
Let me know of ways you take a sabbath. What are some of the activites you do to recharge?
July 27th, 2009 at 11:10 am
“Our NO BUTTONS rule!” I know this is so uncool and probably not hip but when I can’t take much more of what this world has to offer I turn off the main phone, shut down the computers, My cell phone is always on the blink anyway. I stay far from any kind of technology as I did yesterday and I enjoy time with my kids and husband. We played football, walked, took pictures, rode bikes, anything outdoors. I feel as humans we get so caught up in technology even tv’s that we miss the beauty of our lives, the real life moments that are tangible. My rule is if it has buttons you cannot touch it. We have done this for quite some time on Sundays and God has always protected that special family time and blessed it. Even when Dan travels we continue the no button rule on Sundays.
July 27th, 2009 at 11:17 am
Hey Deb, I like your ‘no buttons rule’. It’s a good way to set an example to your kids on just how important the Sabbath is; not just a ritual but a real purpose behind it. I think it’s good that you make sure you do a family activity instead of the buttons!
July 27th, 2009 at 12:59 pm
Unplugging and “Sabbathing” have become more important as I find myself drained & depleted easily. I wish I weren’t that way…the Wonder Woman thing would be oh so much easier! But in the same breath, ‘need’ causes me to lean more heavily on my Papa, my Creator & give time to pause, listen, speak, & meditate.
When I’m intentional about unplugging, I try doing the things that make me come alive. It’s laughing, it’s a great meal, it’s outdoors, it’s with people who build me up, it’s thanking God for rest with each breath. It’s “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.”
Spent the weekend at Big Cedar & turned off my twitter updates Friday before going. I’ve yet to turn them back on & I believe that is going to be how it stays for a while.
July 27th, 2009 at 1:06 pm
Hey Amanda, so jealous you got to spend the weekend at Big Cedar Lodge! It’s amazing when we turn off the noise how peace it becomes! You are right on, we need to do things that make us come alive! I like that.
July 27th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
My idea of recharging is being able to lounge by the pool with a good book. Instead, I find myself playing hostess to my kids and their friends, and being forced to beat them at their own games (HA!) No seriously, even though lounging by the pool is great too, I LOVE having friends over to play volleyball or other games (for hours & hours), to eat great food (for hours & hours), or just to talk (blah blah blah). But I must admit, the older I get the more I feel it on Monday when I’ve enjoyed the sabbath a little too much!
July 27th, 2009 at 8:06 pm
Helen next time well make you sit with a book! Ha! It is fun though to spend time with friends and people who make you laugh!
August 5th, 2009 at 12:01 pm
Hey Alex,
I love sit back and relax while reading a good book. Also I have no problem lying on the sofa watching t.v. with the volume turned down low so I can drift in and out of sleep. Did you know that you can burn more calories sleeping then watching t.v.?