Adulting for Jesus: Purpose, Trusting God and Obviously BurritosSample

Rest

We live in a fast-paced world that never really stops. Millennials are called the “burnout generation,” with many struggling to find the motivation to both go to work and complete basic adulting tasks like grocery shopping or getting to the post office. Because we’re so accessible through our devices, both our work and our social lives stay with us 24/7, requiring us to be a little bit “on” all the time. 

God didn’t design us to continuously live at this pace. In the Old Testament, the Israelites were commanded to set aside the last day of the week and consecrate it as a holy day of rest called the Sabbath. God modeled this for us in Genesis when He spent six days creating and then rested from His work on the seventh. The Sabbath was meant to give those bearing God’s image a break from the regular efforts of work and self-sufficiency, a chance to refocus on what truly mattered: their relationship with Yahweh.

A true Sabbath allows us to be filled up so we can effectively pour out the other six days of the week. And what we fill ourselves up with will determine what we pour out.

When trying to figure out how to structure a Sabbath, it may help to ask, “What will help prepare my body, mind, and soul for what God’s calling me to do this week?”

I’ve heard several people suggest that our Sabbath “activity” should be something different from what we do most of the week. If you sit at a desk every day, go do something a little bit physical. If you’re constantly around people during the week, perhaps it’s better to retreat somewhere quiet and reflect, read, and journal. 

And though a Sabbath isn’t meant to be a day devoted to pampering ourselves, if you’ve been chasing kids or lugging suitcases around during a work trip all week, a bubble bath or massage might be the best thing to help you refocus and remember God’s goodness.

For some of us, finding the rhythm of incorporating rest into our weekly schedules will come easily. For others, it will take some planning and practice to avoid getting drawn back into the rat race of life.

Because I’m easily distracted, I have to loosely plan out my Sabbath ahead of time or else one of two things happens: I spend the whole day wandering around Netflix and playing Bubble Pop on my phone, or I get bored and start working. Neither of those scenarios leaves me feeling filled up and ready to pour out. Also, because my regular workday is unpredictable and lacks structure, creating a plan for my Sabbath allows my mind to rest. If I can’t make a whole day of rest happen, I try to carve out a few “mini-Sabbaths” throughout the week. I’ll schedule in time to get together with some friends for a movie, block out an hour to take a walk and listen to a podcast, or go to a jiu-jitsu class.

Your designated time of rest will likely change over time. Seasons of life (work, home, or responsibilities) and interests will impact how you structure your Sabbath. For example, unless parents of toddlers have someone to watch their kids, they can’t take a day off from caring for their young children, because the little ones will immediately find all the sharp objects and run around with them pointy side up. The goal isn’t to hold tightly to a specific rest routine but to put into action a time of rest that helps you hold tightly to the beauty of your Savior the rest of the week.