Sabbath

The Sabbath challenges our metric of success. It asks us to obey God and resist submitting to the world around us.

Makayla Linsner | Est. 5 minutes

 About a year ago I saw a steady stream of articles, podcasts, YouTube videos, Instagram posts, and even sermons everywhere all talking about the Sabbath. It was trendy for a world that was exhausted. Many people, including myself, were interested in the idea but didn’t know how to approach it. As people began to talk about it I found myself angry at their seeming ignorance of the rat race that is this life. The Sabbath, to me, seemed like a luxury. One I was not privy to and I was frustrated that God had a life for me that required so much work and permitted so little rest. The hustle culture I found myself in was never something I sought to do but was not presented with a viable alternative in today's world. I know I am tired but your religious desire to get me to slow down is not appreciated by my masters, Mr. Bills, and Mrs. Deadlines.” “You just need better priorities, you need to surrender!” Surrender what!? My home? My groceries? My very own living? I have so little I can’t imagine giving up more. 

Over the last 5 years, many churches have jumped on the bandwagon of The Sabbath trend. A practice as old as the universe itself has made a comeback and appeals to many of us in our fast-paced society. High demands from work and home, the bully of constant access to everyone’s perfect life, and the emotional toil of violent news both natural and inflicted have brought many to their wit's end. When we list it all out, the demands of this age on people from all generations are overwhelming and unrealistic. Technology that was supposed to save us time has chained us to the demands of those who want to reach us. We were not created to be everywhere, and yet our technology permits that expectation that if someone needs to reach us, they can and we will answer. We belong to everyone else every single day. What if instead of just a nap or a day off, the Sabbath grants you the freedom to only belong to God? Which brings us to my first point:

The Sabbath is an act of submission to God as King and Ruler of the Universe

In the Genesis account, we see that the Lord “rests” on the seventh day after the work of creation. Now, the distinction here is that God did not rest because he was tired. We know from the Psalms that God does not sleep. He does not rest in the creation narrative because he is limited and needs to recoup. God’s action of resting is him taking his rightful place as ruler of the universe. He sat on his throne to establish his rightful place in the order of creation, the creator and ruler. When we participate in Sabbath we also acknowledge that fact. The Sabbath forces us to acknowledge that truth. That God is above and we are below. That we are limited and he is unlimited. It is an orienting practice to be used as a reminder for us. If we only believe that the Sabbath is a day where we do not check our emails we have greatly underestimated its value. No wonder many ignore it. John Mark Comer, a pastor and author writes in his book, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, “The Sabbath is the one commandment that pastors and Christians brag about breaking.” We in America love being busy because it is conflated with importance. We love to be important, because what is the alternative? Insignificance. A Westerner’s biggest fear is to live an insignificant life. The Sabbath exists to minimize our egos and glorify God. Our own work will never provide for us like God can, which brings me to my next point.

The Sabbath teaches us to rely on God and His provision, rather than our own ability to earn a living.  

I once was complaining to a seminary professor of mine saying, “I just wish I had more hours in the day!” and they kindly responded, “If we had more hours we would fill them with work.” We as humans can struggle with our own limitations. We can push our limits to create, meet deadlines, clock hours, and pick up extra shifts. There is never too much money to be made, we can always earn more. When we have a high earning capacity the temptation to keep working is there. Taking one day off teaches us to rely on God to provide for our needs instead of our own ability. It places us under his care, relying on him for our daily bread. Just like the Israelites in the wilderness, God provides for our daily needs. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us that God provides for all the birds, and we are of more value to Him than they are. The point of this message is not to say that humans are more important than birds. The point is that God cares for all his creation, and sustains them. It is an act of worship to trust God with one day when we do not make money and believe that he will provide.

The Sabbath is for our benefit. 

In the gospel of Mark, Jesus’ disciples graze from a field when they are hungry and Jesus defends their actions to a group of Pharisees who see the act and condemn them for working on the Sabbath. Jesus tells them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” The Sabbath was established by God for our benefit. It is not something to be ruled by, or subject to. The Lord establishes the sabbath and calls it holy because it is good for us, it benefits us to rest and worship God and have a day off. Every single one of us is aware of how demanding the lives we live are. The Sabbath contributes to the story of the good life that comes with following Christ. As your coworkers work late, fight tooth and nail, sacrifice time with their family, and their well-being to get to the top, you as a sabbathing Christian, can be a non-anxious presence in your workplace. A true ambassador for the Prince of Peace 

The Sabbath is a counter-cultural practice given to the people of God as a gift and a challenge. We are presented with every opportunity to reflect the world in our work. The Sabbath requires us to resist that temptation and choose the way that God desires for us. Sabbath is an aggressive practice that asks us to go against every instinct our culture has discipled us in. It is a surrender to the Creator who knows better. He loves us enough that He asks us to every week be reminded of his power and our limitations. Sabbath is how we as Christians show the world that we refuse to bend a knee to any other master but the one who cares for us enough to ask us to rest. 

Further Sabbath Resources:

The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry Book by John Mark Comer and Companion Podcast 

Practicing the Way Sabbath Podcast. Helpful information on how to Sabbath well. You can find the first episode here.

Bible Project Video on Sabbath