The Sabbath

Bear in mind that the LORD has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Everyone is to stay where they are on the seventh day; no one is to go out.”

Exodus 16:29

When you read the Old Testament, line by line, it can seem confusing. There are rules and regulations for just about anything you can think of. Sometimes God's gives a command, and then in the next chapter He seems to retract it. And then there's that whole New Testament thing. What rules apply and what don't? Do we still tithe or observe the sabbath? What about those festivals God seemed so passionate about? What changed?

In a word- everything.

There was, before the fall, a time where we didn't need rules at all. We were connected to God in such a way that life giving principles naturally flowed in our lives. Then the fall happened, and ever since we humans have had the nasty penchant to take life giving principles and make them into heavy-laden rules. The good news is, Christ came to change all that! He came to reconnect us and help us change our minds about the world around us.

The Sabbath is a great example. The Pharisees took this principle and made it a rule, so much so that they argued if Jesus could heal on the Sabbath! Many Christians are not far behind these Pharisees. We've made the Sabbath a day to be busy; go to church, go to bible study, Potlucks, classes, evening services. No wonder the average church goer is just as tired and worn out as anyone else! We've found no rest!

God cared so much about us, that he decreed a day where we didn't need to lift a finger. He gave us helpful principles to get there, like preparing the Sabbath's food a day ahead of time. If you're a mom, you get why that's important. A whole day without cooking? That's a mother's dream! Imagine a day where everything is done; the laundry, the dishes, the cooking, the cleaning, and even the grocery shopping! Imagine a day where you didn't need to go out of your house at all! That's the Sabbath I'm talking about! A whole day of life-giving rest!

So how, in a busy world do we achieve that? I think everyone's Sabbath will look a bit different, but I've listed some suggestions below:

1. Pray. Ask God what your Sabbath will look like. It seems silly, but when you're talking about life giving principles, He's the one with all the Life.
2. Pick your Sabbath. Truthfully, I don't think God cares what day it is. You may work during the weekend, so pick a day, or maybe your Sabbath is Saturday instead of Sunday. Whatever day it is, get it on the calendar.
3. Get it done. Whether it's grocery shopping, cooking, or taking down Christmas Lights, get it done before your day of rest. That way it's not weighing on your mind.
4. Rest. Yes, rest. No cleaning or laundry on the Sabbath. Take the day to chill at home with family. You'll be surprised how much life you can get out of taking one day to completely relax.

Some of these principles may be hard to implement at first, but your family and your body will thank you. God meant for the Sabbath to be for our good. It's His gift to us. Use it.