The 4^th Commandment

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.

How often I used “busyness” as a badge of honor in the past. I’m not even sure I really wanted to. I just had this understanding that “busy” meant “productive,” and “productive” obviously meant being a good wife, mom, and churchgoer.

But that was a lie. Being busy isn’t always productive, especially when it becomes our full-time way of life, and sooner than later, we’re burnt out. For me, burnout often leads to bitterness, even (and sometimes, especially) against those closest to me.

God knows this, and I suppose I’m not alone in feeling this way seeing that even He rested on the seventh day after creating the world and everything in it. Additionally, He mandates this rest in His commandments.

Now, I do believe that Jesus is the fulfillment of all prophecy and that our rest is now eternally in Him. So, one could argue that taking a day of rest (Sabbath) is no longer required.

But I believe instead in the counterargument: how can you fully rest in Jesus when you don’t give yourself time to rest at all?

Even Jesus rested, napping when His body needed it, going to quiet places to pray and be with the Father.

By refusing to follow His example, we put the outcome in our own hands, not His. We falsely believe we have to be “on” 24/7 “doing all the things” for family, friends, and even our church, relying on our own power, rather than the power of the Holy Spirit.

Search me, God, and know my heart.

Do we trust that God will still act even when we’re resting? As a commitment to your faith in Him, consider practicing rest. Journal how you can start taking time in your week to “let go and let God.” What does this look like for you? Enjoying a worship song? Spending an hour in Scripture study? Taking an entire day to be with your family and turn off your phone? Start brainstorming!