How to Rest Roadmap – 5 Steps to Taking a Sabbath

Hey Friend!

Do you have a hard time taking a break? Does rest constantly elude you? As you juggle running a business, living out your faith, and being present with your family, maybe the idea of taking a full-out Sabbath sounds impossible.

Whether you’re entering into a whole new season or your routine looks the same every week, Sabbath creates intentional space in your life to pause, reflect, and worship. This might be a brand new concept for you, or maybe you’ve heard of it but never lived it out. We’re going to look at five steps you can take to achieve much-needed rest, both in your faith journey and your business.

Defining Sabbath

Sabbath originates in the Old Testament and is derived from the Hebrew word Shabbat, which means to rest or to cease. It is a day that is set aside for rest and worship and is still observed in Judaism. While it was practiced in early Christianity, it’s seen a recent resurgence in modern Christianity as well.

There’s Sabbath in its entirety, which would entail ceasing from everything for a full 24 hours. There’s also taking a Sabbath from certain things, like a fast from social media or sugar (or other things of this nature).

Some questions you may be asking about Sabbath:

• Does it have to always be a 24-hour period?
• Does it have to always be on Sunday?
• What am I allowed to do while on Sabbath?
• How often should I practice Sabbath?

Remember, the goal isn’t legalism. The Fourth Commandment instructed Israel to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. But with Jesus came a new freedom from the Law and the hope of the gospel.

While Jesus shifted history in such a beautiful way, it’s still important to recognize that the Old Testament laws were given for a reason. We may not be bound under the Law, but we can employ some of those ancient practices and find a blessing in them.

I hope this biblical roadmap to rest encourages you to:

• take a step away from all the busyness and never-ending to-do lists
• connect with God, your family, and yourself
• renew and refresh your faith
• get excited for what’s to come

Step 1 – Recognize the Need for Rest

Exodus 20:8-10 – “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work.”

This concept is so important. It’s important because your body, your mind, and your spirit need it.

Your family needs it. Your business needs it. Everything needs rest. For us as Christians, when we rest from our work, from our doing, we go back to God – we go back to the Source.

Here are some indicators you need rest. Maybe you find yourself feeling:

• overwhelmed
• highly anxious
• chaotic
• flighty
• stressed
• angry
• resentful
• difficulty remembering things

All of these emotions are discernment alarms. It’s the Holy Spirit tugging on you to take a break and rest.

In my opinion, it doesn’t have to be every single Sunday. It doesn’t even have to be every single week. You pray and discern how often it needs to be for you. Regardless of how long or how often it occurs, the key is to recognize that it is needed in your life.

Step 2 – Seek God’s Guidance

Psalm 23:1-3 – “The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters and restores my soul.”

Has God ever had to make you lie down to take a break? Our pride tells us we don’t need a break. But I’ve learned the hard way. It’s easier to recognize when a break (or Sabbath) is needed and do it in obedience.

The Lord is your shepherd. You can have faith He will:

• lead you
• guide you
• tell you what to do
• give you the gift of restoration

When is the right time to take a break? Will you trust that your to-do list will still get done if you take a break? You can confidently pray to Him and ask for wisdom and discernment.

If we humble ourselves and admit we need rest, restoration and delight are waiting for us on the other side. In fact, saying “no” to Sabbath is like refusing a special gift from God.

Another Way To Think About It

Imagine your mom bought you the most beautiful leather coat. It was one you’ve been thinking about for years but never allowed yourself to purchase. She went to every store to find the perfect type of leather and the exact color you wanted. She went home and tenderly wrapped the gift. It was so beautifully wrapped that you immediately noticed it on Christmas when you came over.

An amazing amount of time, energy, money, and heart went into the gift, and it would bring her so much joy to give you the gift and to see your face light up. But you’re in the next room thinking, “I can’t open that gift. I’m way too busy over here doing this thing that I think brings me purpose and makes me money.” Imagine the disappointment and heartache of your loved one who had prepared the perfect gift for you.

That’s what it’s like when you turn away from God’s gift of rest. But when we accept His gift, it brings Him joy. Open the gift. You deserve it, and God wants you to delight in the good gift He has prepared for you.

Step 3 – Plan and Prepare

Proverbs 16:3 – “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans.”

Sometimes to be able to rest, we need to plan and prepare, so talk to God about it. Seek His guidance on organization and how you can best prepare for your Sabbath.

If you want to go on Sabbath during the weekend, you need to get your work done by Friday. Maybe you need to tackle the laundry midweek to rest and do other fun things on the weekend.

In addition to physical readiness, there’s mental and spiritual readiness. Sabbath can be unexpectedly beautiful and like a breath of fresh air for your faith. Other times it can be absolutely transformational for your whole life. What’s the headspace you want to enter into your Sabbath with? What’s going on in your heart at the moment?

Reframing what you want your Sabbath to look and feel like helps you prepare accordingly. Of course, our plans can change, and God is ultimately in control of how your Sabbath will look. If you don’t create intentionality around opening the gift of Sabbath, you’ll miss the joy and restoration of faith that’s waiting for you.

Step 4 – Disconnect and Reflect

Mark 6:31 – “Because so many people were coming and going, they did not even have a chance to eat. He said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place, and get some rest.'”

Let’s break down what Jesus says:

• come with Me – spending time with God
• by yourself – not always possible, but look out for pockets of time for alone time with God
• to a quiet place – physically and mentally quiet, not with your cell phone distracting you

Disconnecting is the undercurrent of this verse. It’s extremely hard to disconnect when you constantly have dings and pings coming in from your phone. My suggestion? Delete the social media apps from your phone and tablet. Or better yet, totally delete your social media accounts.

You’ll be blown away by the mental clarity you regain and how so many things in your life will be healed. They’ll be healed just from the space, just from the surrender, just from the obedience.

That surrender and obedience allow space for new things to emerge. Then take time to reflect. Reflect on your life. Reflect on your relationship with God. Journal, pray, and seek Him. Taking time to reflect allows your faith to grow and expand.

Step 5 – Be Grateful in Worship

Psalm 100:4 – “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name.”

As you return from Sabbath, don’t jump straight back into the crazy, the busy, and the chaos. Ease in, expressing gratitude to God for the time you had, whether you had ten minutes or ten days. This might sound like, “Thank you, God, for the rejuvenation, for the restoration.”

Use it as an opportunity to worship Him for all He did in that rest time. Thank Him for the beautifully wrapped gift He’s given you. And you can choose to open that gift every single day – how amazing is that! Spending time in gratitude will bring you so much completeness and fully close out your beautiful Sabbath experience.

Maybe this week is the perfect week to take a break, take some rest, and seek God’s guidance in faith for what He has in store for you next.

I pray this blesses you!

Xo,

Stef

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