“Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it.” Hebrews 4:1 (NIV)
In college life was crazy. Papers, tests, labs, classes, study groups, and clinical skill building consumed most of the week. By Friday afternoons, my brain couldn’t take anymore and I’d clean my dorm room and do laundry. All day Saturday was prime study time and Sunday? Sunday morning was for church, for worship. Sunday afternoon I was back with the books.
Back in college I believed in God. I believed in Jesus. I attended church. I also didn’t know what the Bible said.
I did hear a sermon about keeping the Sabbath holy. The Sabbath is a day for rest and worship. “I’ll do that after I graduate,” I thought.
And so, Sunday afternoons I busily memorized medical terminology and wrote papers.
If only I’d known Hebrews 4:1 back then.
I can enter God’s rest. A quiet, peaceful place. A place of physical, emotional, mental and spiritual tranquility. A place where God’s peace and love can wash over me, encouraging my heart and building up my reserves for the week to come. I had a standing invitation. Back then, I didn’t accept that invitation.
Today, I want to accept that invitation. Instead, I often waver in fierce ambivalence between refusing any obligation on the Sabbath and scheduling that afternoon to meet my family’s needs.
The fact is, His promise of entering His rest still stands for each of us today. God didn’t design us to run around frenzied, trying to do an impossible ‘to-do’ list.
He designed us in His image. He designed us to follow Him and His example. He designed us to rest and refresh once a week, during our Sabbath.
One day a week, our bodies should refrain from physical work. Our minds should rest from problem-solving. Our spirits should worship God and bask in His love.
I short-changed myself back in college by thinking I didn’t have time for rest once a week. As the semester drew to a close, I was weary and absolutely worn-out.
Amazingly, it’s a lesson I’m still learning today. Servant hearts are a good thing, but not at the expense of too much busyness. Service should not keep me from spending time with God, the One I’m trying to serve. I’m learning to balance service at church and keeping the Sabbath. I’m learning that I have nothing left to offer others when I myself haven’t refueled.
Of course God knew what He was doing when He told us to keep the Sabbath! He designed us, He knows what we need! He also designed it so we had a choice. We will be obedient to Him? Or will we first decide what’s best for ourselves? I have learned I truly need a Sabbath, a day of rest. The challenge is safe-guarding that day each week.
How do you keep a day of rest?
We simply cannot give to God or to others if we are empty, too exhausted to have anymore to give.
If our almighty, everlasting God needed a day of rest…how could we, such lesser beings, not also need such a day of rest?
You are absolutely right! And yet, how many times I thought I could just plow through!
He blesses our obedience, and appreciates our attempts at following Him.
Thanks for the comment!