Creating a Rhythm

Hebrews 4:9–10 says, “So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.”

In this passage, the writer is describing an inner rest that can only come as we rest deeply in the grace of Christ. Have you personally experienced this deep inner rest? What have you learned about remaining in this place of rest?

The Sabbath is a time to create space for your soul to be renewed and revived. You should set aside specific time to pray, but you should also find other activities that rejuvenate you—a long walk, time with friends, or cooking a special meal. What activities restore and revive your soul? Is Sabbath simply a day off? Is it a day to run errands, pay bills, and clean the house?

Though it is unwise to create rigid, legalistic laws for your Sabbath day, Sabbath works best if running errands and paying bills happen during a different time of the week. The twenty-four-hour period called Sabbath should, as much as possible, revolve around three activities: pause, pray, and play.

Pause. Sabbath is a day to stop. This means something different for every person, but stopping should feel a bit uncomfortable. To pause probably means not checking email or social media and creating space for rest. If that feels like pure torture at first, then you’re probably on the right track. After a little while, you will stop squirming and resisting, and the waters of your soul will begin to calm.

Pray. Sabbath is a special day to commune with God. It’s during these times of prayer on Sabbath that God preaches to you the story of your identity. He convinces your soul that you are his. Sabbath is a time to meditate on the truth that you are loved and accepted—not because of what you do, but because of what Christ has done.

Play. Sabbath should include fun. Fun looks different for every person, but having fun on Sabbath is an act of faith. It’s enjoying the gift of life even though things are still undone in your world.

Doing Sabbath well takes intentionality and planning. Thinking through your upcoming Sabbath day and making time to pause, pray, and play will not happen unless you are incredibly purposeful. You may feel guilty, unproductive, or wasteful. But soon, the blessing of Sabbath will begin to feed your soul and inject life into every other day of the week.

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