Spiritual Disciplines for Parents: Worship, Generosity, and SabbathSample

DAY 4: SABBATH

In today’s world, we’re able to do more than ever… which means we’re busier than ever. And kids have a way of multiplying our joy and monopolizing our time.

There’s a unique tension we face when it comes to our calendars. We want to be generous with our time, we want to give our kids every opportunity, and we want to support those around us. However, if we’re not careful, we can end up unknowingly worshiping the chaos and distraction that comes from always being on the go.

Where’s the rest in your rhythm? And we’re talking real rest — not mindless scrolling or binge-watching Netflix to numb our brains. The truth is, most of us don’t create space for it.

The concept of rest has been around since creation. Genesis 2 recounts how, after creating our world and everything in it, God “rested from all His work,” then “blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it He rested from all the work of creating that He had done” (Genesis 2:2-3).

God didn’t just take the seventh day to rest for Himself; over and over throughout the Bible, He instructed His people to honor what became known as the Sabbath, a holy day of rest. It’s so important. Remembering and keeping the Sabbath is one of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:8-11).

If the Sabbath is so crucial, why has honoring it become so lukewarm? If, as Jesus said in Mark 2:27, the Sabbath “‘was made for man, not man for the Sabbath,’” (NIV) why is rest a foreign, sometimes even shameful, concept?

Today’s culture equates busyness and productivity with worth and value. As a result, we think we are what we do. So we work harder and fill our days with more. Unfortunately, when we lack the spiritual discipline of rest (or Sabbath), our body and soul pay the price.

Rest is so much more than a day off. It’s an act of trust. It’s an opportunity to put our work down and put our faith in the God who never sleeps.

God invites us to come to Him for rest in the midst of our chaotic and stressful lives (Matthew 11:28). Who needs this more than parents? Our kids need to see an example of restorative rest — of the Sabbath God intended. They need to know it’s vital to slow down, take a breath, and bask in mindful, not mindless, rest.

Put it into practice. Take a break this week! Whether it’s a whole day or just a few hours, set aside time to honor the Sabbath and rest from your usual rhythms.