Two religious denominations that take the Sabbath very seriously are the Jewish faith and Adventists. As a wedding planner, I have had both as clients and am fascinated by their very intentional methods of creating a day completely and wholly about rest. We can learn something from them about being deliberate to have times of rest. They believe the Sabbath day is pivotal to guiding the rest of the week. Particularly, the Adventists believe that your preparations for the Sabbath “will set the stage for receiving the blessings that the Lord has in store for the entire day which follows.” Don’t you love that? They are intentionally preparing to receive a blessing from God.
While I am not implying you need to follow all of these, they are certainly great ways to cultivate specific times of physical rest in your life.
Ways to Prepare for the Sabbath or Rest Day:
- Complete grocery shopping and meal preparation by sundown the day before. Use a crockpot or prepare a meal that only needs reheated.
- Lay out your clothing and necessities in advance. I don’t know how it is at your house but Sunday mornings seem to explode sometimes. Clothes suddenly don’t fit. Shoes are missing. Tempers are easier to ignite. We have recently adopted this idea of having everything ready (including trying them on!) and it has been a huge deterrent for arguing.
- Clean your house…even if it is only a surface cleaning. It is difficult to rest if you are surrounded by disorder. You may even find that you feel guilty relaxing when you “could be” getting stuff accomplished. I would suggest making sure the dishwasher is clear so you can fill as you use dishes or even using paper plates so you can easily dispose when you are finished eating.
- Get in bed in enough time to get adequate sleep so you aren’t starting the day tired.
Does this mean you cannot garden, ride your bike or scrapbook? I think that will be determined by you and God. If those activities relax you and don’t distract you from rest, then my opinion is that they would be okay (the key words here are “my opinion” not gospel truth). Perhaps you have a hobby that you never make time for. If making time for your hobby on your rest day will bring you joy, perhaps you should consider it (hopefully, it is somewhat restful!) One of the things I do on my rest day is to compare calendars with my husband and make notes for the week ahead. That helps me put things into perspective so my upcoming week goes smoothly. The little bit of time I take makes a big difference for our family.
Activities on the Sabbath or Rest Day:
- If the day you are using as your Sabbath/Rest day isn’t the same day as your scheduled day of church fellowship, make a point of spending quality time with God and in His Word.
- Celebrate meals as a family.
- Limit secular music, radio, and video and television programs, and by newspapers, books, and magazines. My favorite saying is “Garbage In. Garbage Out.”
- Spend the day as a family. Explore nature. Play games. Read.
- Listen to relaxing music. Praise and Worship Music is very calming.
- Take a nap. Sit in the sun. Make a conscience effort to sit still for a bit.
- Avoid travel, eating out or other activities that may appear simple but actually, can become causes of stress.
- Forget about everything else. Enjoy your day!
The importance of creating a Sabbath/Rest day will be lost if we begin to get so legalistic that we forget why we are doing it in the first place. On the other hand, you should remember that one of the 10 commandments says to “Remember the Sabbath Day to keep in Holy.” Obviously, God felt it important enough to include so we should place some importance on it also. This is a day God has given us, not as punishment, but instead to bless us.
If you get plenty of rest one day each week, you will be able to accomplish more and be more effective on the remaining days of your week. In addition, getting physical rest will help you remain in God’s perfect rest. It will make all the difference in your physical, mental, and spiritual life.
To read the entire series on Rest, start at part 1 or download the Guide to Finding God’s Rest 12 pages HERE.
Thank you for taking this journey with me on Finding God’s Rest!
For additional information on the Jewish Sabbath: Shabbat
For additional information on the Adventists Sabbath: Sabbath Observance
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