Taking a Sabbath

Korie Bee

A couple of Sundays ago our family took a true Sabbath and it felt great! My husband is a pastor and so he has to preach every Sunday, which makes for a very short weekend in our home. He never really gets a good break, so we decided that we were going to stay home from church (yes, there was someone else preaching) and just “chill” as we say in our family.

We all slept in, kids included, and had a great breakfast. That morning the kids played, I sat and had some sweet time with the Savior, my husband worked out and had his quiet time as well, then off to lunch to celebrate the kids’ great grades from school. Once we got home we literally sat on the couch the rest of the day together watching NCAA men’s basketball and Tiger Woods. It was the best day!

Being a family and just taking that time to stop, slow down and be together is so very refreshing.

Ladies, we live in an extremely busy world and I know you all can relate to that, but if at all possible stop!

Take some time and just do nothing as a family except rest and enjoy each other. We so often forget that taking a Sabbath is a command from God, not a suggestion.

Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.

Exodus 20:8-11

I am guilty of not obeying God on this, but that weekend just reminded me of how very important and refreshing it can be.

Whether you have a house full of kids or you’re an empty-nester, married or single, it doesn’t matter: we could all use a little rest.

mousewords says:

April 17, 2009 at 6:27 pm

SO very true! I’m single with a busy work/creative life, and treasure my Sabbath times–reading or prayer by myself; DVDs with my folks and sister; coffee with a friend. Even if I take my rest on Friday, or a half-day during the week, or stay off email for a “techno-Sabbath” weekend; I always wind up renewed, refreshed, and better able to tackle that busy schedule.

Stacia says:

April 24, 2009 at 2:43 pm

I have to say I was disappointed that your “true Sabbath” did not include worshipping with your local church–even if your husband didn’t have to preach that day. For me, the Sabbath is not made special by the amount of rest or family time we have together–what makes it special is taking “rest time” out of our normal daily life to worship God, both corporately and as a family. I think a real true Sabbath would include both worshipping the Lord and resting.