Keeping the Sabbath is one of the Ten Commandments few of us keep well. For most of us, Sunday is a crowded and hectic day. We get up, get dressed, get the kids ready and fight through traffic to find ourselves a place in the pew. We go to eat lunch, maybe catch a nap and then, in some cases get ready to come back for Sunday night. If you work on a church staff, then Sunday is by no means a day of rest. Add that to the changing dynamics of work, education and families and you have a recipe for exhaustion.This exhaustion shows itself in short tempers, physical and emotional health issues, strained relationships and in general, a frustration about life.
The technological advancements of our culture mean we have access to everyone and everyone has access to us 24/7. This means the traditional disconnecting of going home no longer happens. You are still wired even when you are not in the office. The culture no longer observes the Sabbath. Entertainment venues and retail stores are all open on Sunday and there is no longer a stigma attached to “not going to church.” All of this means that keeping the Sabbath must become a proactive obedience rather than a passive acceptance of societal norms. That means, as believers, we are going to have to establish limits in order to protect our Sabbath. (Yes, I know the Sabbath is Saturday and was changed to Sunday by the early church to celebrate the Resurrection), but the reality is that a lot of us have to make our Sabbath another day of the week. And we have to be intentional about doing it.
This means putting limits on what you will do and NOT do on the day you celebrate your Sabbath. This could include things like turning off your cell phone. It could be staying away from email and the internet. It could be turning off the television (I know, I am pushing it). My point is that you will have to create the space you need to have the opportunity to encounter the Living God.
Over and over again, we are finding out how important “down time” is to our mental health. Jesus reminded us that the Sabbath was created for people and not the other way around. Sabbath is a gift of God to us. Make sure you make enough room in your life to receive it.
