Best-Laid Plans

Just because we are working hard does not mean we are making anything happen. Our best-laid plans and goals and performance evaluations do not guarantee that what we desire will actually come about.

Sabbath, Wayne Muller*

Do you ever feel like there’s just not enough time? No matter what you accomplish over the course of the day, there’s always more to do. The list grows, and it gets frustrating when you don’t see the progress you would like to see.

It’s on days like this that it feels like we are just spinning our wheels. There’s a lot of movement, but not a lot of traction. It can wear us down to our core, and, eventually, if we aren’t careful, lead to burnout. This is why Sabbath is so important.

What is Sabbath?

Sabbath is a practice that goes back to the creation story found in Genesis. For six days, God created. On the seventh, God rested. Why does God rest? Was the act of creation so strenuous that God was exhausted? I don’t think so.

Sabbath is not just about rest; it’s about enjoying all for which you have worked. God looks out over creation, declares it to be good, and enjoys it. God stops to smell the roses, if you will. When we do the same, we are engaging in holy work.

I think we typically associate Sabbath with rest. In fact, it got to the point in the first century that obeying the Sabbath Law was the goal. That’s why we see Jesus reframing it in Matthew 11:28-12:14.

This story begins with Jesus inviting all who are weary and heavy-laden to come find rest in him. “My yoke is easy to bear and my burden is light” (Mt 11:30).

Jesus then defends his disciples picking grain on the Sabbath because the need to take care of oneself is more important than Sabbath Law-keeping. Right after that, Jesus heals on the Sabbath, which doesn’t sit well with some people either. But he demonstrates that taking care of people is more important than Sabbath Law-keeping.

Jesus doesn’t do away with Sabbath. He reframes it from what it had become to what it was originally intended to be. Sabbath is about reconnecting and restoring.

Incorporating Sabbath

There’s no “right” way to incorporate Sabbath into your regular calendar. Some may argue with me on this. They are wrong. I know that seems blunt, but the fact of the matter is that what works for one person may not work for another. What brings me rest and relaxation, what restores my connection with God and draws me closer, is going to look completely different than what that will look like for you.

So, there’s one rule when it comes to incorporating Sabbath in your life: you have to do it.

That’s it. That’s the rule. You have to find the time. You have to find the connection. And you just have to do it. And I’ll be the first to admit that I’m pretty bad about it at times. I’m in a cycle right now where I feel like I constantly have more to do. Frankly, it’s overwhelming, and I’m not getting as much done as I need to right now, which just makes the cycle even worse. But I need to make the time for Sabbath.

And that’s a keyword: make. Most people – well, maybe I’m generalizing from my own experience here, maybe not… anyway – most people want to find the time. But time for important things in our lives cannot be found; it has to be made.

So, let me encourage you today to make the time. Prioritize Sabbath as a time to reconnect and restore. Do whatever you need to do in order to make it happen, and… well… make it happen!

*Amazon affiliate link. Sabbath is a great read that will challenge you to really evaluate what Sabbath means for your own life.