There’s a thought that the Sabbath was made for pastors and leaders only.
Maybe we don’t fully understand the purpose of the Sabbath and why it was made, but simply put…the Sabbath was made for you and everyone.
Sabbath is not exclusive to pastors and leaders, or for those who, with the hustle and bustle of life and busy schedules, need a day off. It was made and designed by God for you and I. Indeed, 2022 has already given us many challenges (high gas prices, rent price increases, war, and much more). You’re probably feeling the overwhelming burden of your to-do list staring at you. Or maybe you said “yes” to too many things when you should have said no.
In my own life recently, I have felt a tiredness in my body, but I just keep going non-stop. The exhaustion of trying to hold it all together eventually has taken a hold of me. The weariness in my eyes and my body language has been obvious to my friends and community. The conviction of the Lord reminds me that the Sabbath was made for me. I need to stop and rest in him.
If you and I are not careful, we can turn our busyness into idols. The mindset sneaks in that we must be constantly on the go, hustling, completing our to do lists and responsibilities. While these are important components to our lives, we must ensure that we are finding a healthy balance to work and rest. To rest completely in Him.
In Him, we find rest for our longing soul. We find peace. We find renewal of strength in our body and mind. In Him, we find the true reason for our motivations. On a Sabbath day, we present counter-culture witnesses of the gospel. Where the world says we must do and do, Christ says stop and rest. Abide in Him.
When God made the world, Scripture says that on the seventh day, “He rested” (Genesis 2:2-3). God models for us what He thinks our lives should look like, not what the world thinks we should look like . We were never told to conform to the world and its standards, but in fact, the very opposite. Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind…”
His great invitation comes long before His great commission.
In Matthew 28, we find the Great Commission which calls us to do, but in Matthew 11 we find the invitation to find rest for our soul. For each of us to become more like Christ, we must find rest in Him first. Which means that Sabbath was created for you and I.
