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This guest post is part of a series on Sabbath Rest for Small Church Ministry LLC, where we help women create joy & success in small church ministry. Any opinions expressed within this blog post are those of the author and not necessarily held by Small Church Ministry.
A Painful Church Break-Up Led Me To Stop For Sabbath
Are you too busy to rest? A painful leave from church caused this Christian woman to stop. Learn why Sabbath rest actually gives you more time, not less.
3 Things I Gained From Stopping For Sabbath Rest
Around 2013, we left the church we were attending. It was messy and painful. You know what I mean.
In my pain, I saw a book that jumped out at me: Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, by Peter Scazerro.
Aha! I thought … this is what those people need. I’m going to read it to find out how messed up they are!
Wouldn’t you know it, it wasn’t for them at all. It was for me!
Stop, Rest, Contemplate, Delight, Repeat
One of the many, many ideas Peter describes in his book is the need for a biblical Sabbath to stop, rest, contemplate, and delight. It is one of the vital elements to a sustainable, vibrant relationship with Christ, which a majority of Christians are missing, and why so many of us do not have an emotionally healthy spirituality.
- Stop: No expending of energy, mental or physical, that is draining
- Rest: Sleeping, relaxing, recovery
- Contemplate: Worship and focus on God
- Delight: Doing things you enjoy by yourself and with your family that fill you with energy
These aspects of the Sabbath are not meant to restrict or limit us; rather, they are meant to give us freedom. It’s not about what you can’t do; it’s all about freeing you to do what you love! There’s no one right way to experience Sabbath rest. It’s going to look different for each person and for each family.
As I read this book and let the ideas sink into my heart and spirit, I began the journey of incorporating some practices of Sabbath rest into my life.
Baby Steps To Take When You Feel Too Busy For Sabbath Rest
It wasn’t easy or perfect. I work full-time in public school, part-time staff at church, and am involved in leading a community women’s ministry as well as dabbling in several organizations. Not to mention, I’m a mom to 4 awesome kids!
The thought of stopping to rest was a little bit scary. “I don’t have time to slow down or take the day off.” But, I knew if God was asking this of me, then I had to trust Him it would work out.
So, I Started With Baby Steps
- Friday family movie night
- Saturday sleeping late and staying in my room by myself for prayer and Bible reading
- No thinking, planning, or scheduling of anything so my brain would rest
- Very limited computer or phone activity until Saturday night after supper
- Reading a book or coloring (my craft of choice)
- Staying home as much as possible on Saturday
- Sometimes laundry or other chores would have to get done (it’s not a perfect Sabbath, but I’m trying!)
My attempt at Sabbath resting on Friday night into Saturday wasn’t necessarily trying to be biblical from the Old Testament. Rather, that’s just when my schedule allowed it best. On Sundays, I serve at church. Even though I love serving at church, I expend a lot of energy, so I consider it work. Then, Sunday afternoons, I spent writing and scheduling things for my community women’s ministry, Women of the Way. So, Sundays were actually the first day of the work week for me.
During the week, I would spend a few minutes in the morning in silence and prayer, do Bible studies during my lunch, and in the evenings after supper, I would go sit outside by myself as the sun went down and enjoyed the quiet for about 10 minutes.
Once I got into this rhythm of stop, rest, contemplate, and delight, I discovered I received so much more in return.
I wasn’t giving up anything, I wasn’t losing anything, and I wasn’t getting more behind. I found I gained so much more!
3 Things I Gained From Stopping For Sabbath Rest
1. More Productivity …
Taking the time to Sabbath helped me get more done. It feels counterintuitive, right? In my human understanding, I think I’ve got to keep going, plugging away, and don’t stop till everything gets done. But, in God’s wisdom, stopping to put Him first makes me more efficient and focused.
The familiar verse in Matthew 6:33 reminds me to “seek first the Kingdom of God, and all these things will be added to you.”
Then, I realize it’s true. If I keep plugging away without a Sabbath, I bog down, get tired, and sputter. Distractions and procrastination creep in, and I become less productive.
However, when I stop to rest and focus on God, my mind, body, and spirit get re-energized. My battery gets recharged, and I start the week off ready to go!
2. More Capacity …
In addition to being more productive, I’ve actually discovered I build more capacity when I spend time in Sabbath rest. Building capacity is just a trendy way of saying I can do more things.
As a busy woman, I wear many hats. A woman’s work is never done, right? Even with the best of intentions to keep boundaries on the calendar, commitments and obligations add up. Admittedly, I have a hard time saying no because I love to do ALL the things!
(Yes, I’m an extrovert, and all the introverts are cringing! Talk to me again at the end of our Sabbath study because I know I need to work on trimming away the excess!)
Even still, Sabbath rest has been vital in giving me more capacity to plan and execute all the busyness in my life with joy! I honestly have more space in my head to think and plan and more time to accomplish ALL the responsibilities going on in my life!
3. More Inspiration …
Finally, more inspiration. This is the one that excites me the most! The more time I spend with God in Sabbath rest, the more He inspires me with insight, understanding, and creativity.
The Scriptures come alive with revelation and application. Ideas flow for blog posts, Bible studies, and events. There have been many times during Sabbath rest and even morning devotions where I practice silence and solitude before God. I’m actively trying not to plan, think, or ask anything from God –– just trying to be with Him. But, my mind floods with things to write, say, or do. I’ll say “Okay Lord, I’m trying to focus on You right now, and You’re giving me all this great stuff!”
The more I focus on Him, the more He inspires me!
Rest In The Freedom That A Sabbath Rhythm Brings
Friend, I know you are very busy. I know, probably like me, you have more on your plate than you can say “Grace” over!
I’m not suggesting you casually toss your hair with a flip of the wrist and say “Let it Go!” No! Rather, you are actively entrusting to God your time, your energy, and your resources so that He can fill you up.
You can’t afford not to add Sabbath rest into your life!
What can you do to incorporate the principles of stop, rest, contemplate, and delight into your life and family?
When you do, you won’t be losing anything. You’ll gain way more!
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Love this!
I agree, Roxie! I’m so grateful for all the wonderful women in this community! Happy to have Amy as an integral part.
Am, I love your article. Absolutely using the Sabbath to recharge your batteries makes so much sense, especially when you do ministry on Sunday morning! Your three “More” points are right on.