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It’s been awhile since I’ve mentioned Sabbath. If you’ve missed it, after playing with the idea for years, a decade ago Lori and I started making Wednesday our Sabbath. It’s a day of rest for our bodies and our minds. It’s a day to rest, and to love each other, family, friends, and God.
I recently missed Sabbath for the first time in ten years! I was attending an out-of-state preaching workshop, and was gone from early Monday to midnight Friday. There was just no way to do Sabbath that week. And let me tell you, I really felt not having it! I was fine on Wednesday and Thursday, but by Friday I was starting to feel it. I could feel it because I know what’s it feels like to get the rest.
And then after a normal Sabbath, the next week we pushed Sabbath to Thursday. We’ve done it a day early or late a handful of times when absolutely necessary. This time it was necessary because we were needed for grandchild watching. While we enjoy doing that, it’s not a day-of-rest activity! So on what would normally be our Sabbath, I did a lot of heavy work outside – with “help” from a five-year-old. This after doing heavy physical work, several of the preceding days. When I climbed into bed that night, I was more tired than I have been in a very long time. And again, I knew it was bad because I know how it feels when I do it right.
When I used to just go, go, and keep going, without taking a real day of rest, I had no idea how much it was hurting me. I couldn’t feel it because I had no reference point. Now that I have a well rested reference point, I’m very much aware when I go too long without such a rest.
If you’re on 24/7, you have no way of knowing when you have pushed too far. You put yourself at risk of a physical or mental breakdown because you’re unable to feel yourself getting close to those things. Beyond that, being that busy is bad for your health, the health of your marriage, your relationship with family and friends, and your relationship with God.
God commanded Israel to take a Sabbath because He knew they needed it. We’re not under the law and can ignore that wisdom, but we do so at our own peril.
Image Credit: © AntonioDiaz | stock.adobe.com
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