Sabbath Pause: Why You Should Turn Off the Blender

I have a high power blender. It is my favorite kitchen tool. I inherited one from my grandmother and used it so much the motor died. It was a very sad day. Thankfully, I was able to trade it in and purchase another one.

Unfortunately, we only have one body. One soul. There’s no trade-in bonus available. Money can’t replace either dimension of who we are. But God has a solution. It’s called Rest.

We often equate rest with laziness, but God thinks differently. How do I know?

1. He instituted it in Creation.

When God created the world, He rested the seventh day. He took a day to cease from His work and enjoy all that He had done. He also created a rhythm of rest by the pattern of evening and morning. He took daily rest as well.

2. He commanded it in the Law.

When the Law was given to Moses, the summary known as the Ten Commandments includes “Remember the Sabbath.” He commanded His people to cease from labor on the Sabbath. The prophet Nehemiah took this seriously. He promised death to those who broke this commandment!

3. He set the example while on Earth.

Despite the accusations by the Pharisees, we see that Jesus spent His Sabbaths on Earth restfully. He went to the synagogue and discussed the Scriptures. He did good and touched and healed those that were sick. He took strolls and ate easily prepared meals with His disciples.

Jesus did not just rest once a week. We often see Him withdrawing to a place alone to pray. He encouraged His disciples to do the same and spoke the words, “Come unto me, and I will give you rest.”

4. We need it.

Our spirits need rest. We cannot make it spiritually without regular alone time with God. We need weekly worship and fellowship with like-minded believers.

Our bodies need rest. They were never intended to function well on little sleep and to work hard for seven days a week. Experiments performed various times throughout history show that productivity actually goes down when the seven day work week is established.

We spend our days blending up all the responsibilities that make our homes and families unique. However, each evening and one day a week, we need to flip the switch to off. More about that next week.