The Need for Sabbath
The Need for Sabbath
I was exhausted. All of the time. I thought I was getting enough sleep at night, but every morning getting out of bed was a struggle. I would lose patience quickly with my family, and at work my brain was in a fog. Neither was getting me at my best, and something had to give. I got better at scheduling time off and annual family vacations. But that was like putting a band aid on an arterial bleed. I simply created a cycle of working non-stop, retreating on a vacation, and then going straight back into non-stop work. Something had to give.
I shared my struggle at a CEO roundtable group and was immediately called out.
“Sarah, are you regularly practicing taking a Sabbath?”
“You mean a whole day without work? No, I can’t say that I’m doing that.”
It was a wake-up call.
2 On the sixth day God completed all the work that he had done, and on the seventh day God rested from all the work that he had done. 3 God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all the work of creation.
Genesis 2:2-3 CEB
If the God of creation needed a day of rest after His work, why did I think I could do without? No wonder I was burning out. I immediately made a change. I let my family know. I scheduled an entire day for a Sabbath, which for me means I put it on our calendar. I did have to plan for it because to take a full day of rest means that groceries still need to be bought, laundry needs to be washed, and emails need replies. I just couldn’t do any of that on my Sabbath day. I’ve been faithfully taking a full Sabbath for 4 months now, and I can honestly say it has been life-changing. Here are some steps I’ve found helpful for starting a Sabbath practice:
- Define it. One of the most interesting things about this was defining what I actually consider work.
- Prioritize it. There will always be something that comes up, but you have to prioritize it.
- Plan for it. Office work, laundry, grocery shopping – all the things still have to get done.
- Finally, give yourself grace. Some weeks I’m better at it than others. But there has been a marked difference in my work and personal life since I’ve actually started taking a Sabbath.
