A period of dedicated rest.
The idea of a Sabbath feels like an antiquated concept that worked in times that were easier than these, but does not work in the every day busyness of the modern world. I am realizing that my thought process on this is flawed.
The primary flaw in my thinking is that life today is somehow busyer or more difficult than it was long ago. If I am hungry I just go to a store and purchase my food. If I am thirsty I simply turn a knob and cool, clean water is delivered to me. We are surrounded by more luxury and entertainment than any civilization in history - we throw ourselves at the alter of entertainment - yet we never make time to actually rest. Yes, we work, sometimes more than is good for us, but we also have ample time for recreation. So, the idea that my life is busyer than that of a person living in the desert hunting and gathering their daily bread is folly.
The second flaw in my thought process stems from the above paragraph. I realize that my life is not as difficult as some, so I don't feel that I deserve to have rest. I don't have to hunt or gather my food, I don't have to struggle for heat or comfort - it is all around me, so I ignore my spirit's clamor for some rest and push on through. Day after day, week after week without ever taking time to step back and take a breathe. I feel guilt about claiming my period of rest because I know that it means that my spouse will need to work more during this time. I can see her need for this same rest, but it is easier for me to give her that gift than it is for me to claim it for myself.
God instructed us to observe the Sabbath. He calls it Holy, so it is Holy. I need rest. My spirit needs regular time to be quiet. It is not about the busyness of my life, or how it compares to an other's life. It is about my spirit needing time to be at rest - to allow God to reinvigorate me.
The Bible speaks repeatedly about the value of rest. Jesus sought it out with his friends - it is one of God's commandments to His people. So, why am I so reluctant to incorporate this aspect into my life?
Hebrews 4:9-11:
There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. Let us therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.- - - - - - -
I can feel my soul being stretched thin. I recognize the need for rest in my spirit. I begin to be short with my wife and children. My thoughts turn more and more inward and focus on how tired I am. Instead of speaking up and dedicating the time for rest I plow ahead in weariness and self-martyrdom. My heart turns away from God and into myself.
So, by not taking the time for a Sabbath, I sin against God and against my family. This is the primary reason I need to take a break. In order to be the man, husband and father I was designed to be, I need to seek the rest that my Father has for me.
This is the adjustment I need to make.
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