Today, being Sunday, is the Sabbath. The Sabbath, quite simply, is a day of rest. It was long after I became a Christian that I was told (yep, didn't figure it out myself, had to be told) that we observed the Sabbath to model after how God created the earth--He did various creative things for six days and on the seventh day He rested. In fact, this had a lot to do with why we have seven days in a week.
Alright, what's this got to do with me, right? What do you do on a Sunday? Earlier this summer (wow, that really seems like ages ago), I went to a camp for Intervarsity Christian Fellowship leadership. At this camp, we were given the opportunity, and quite encouraged, to observe the Sabbath. There wasn't any specific formula given for observing the Sabbath. However, there were several hints. First, spend some time in prayer. Second, spend some time listening. Finally, if you keep a journal, read back through some of the things you've written. The Sabbath is often best spent as a day of reflection and thanks.
Observing the Sabbath is actually quite neat, once you get used to it. It can be very annoying having to schedule all the work you normally would have done on your Sunday for another day, but the benefits of the day of rest
far out-weigh the annoyances. The time of reflection, prayer, and rest can do wonders for your life--spiritually, emotionally, and physically.
You might figure that you don't need a day of rest or that you're too busy. Well, I figure that if the Creator of All Things rested and asked (commanded?) us to do the same, it's probably a good idea to do so. It's for our own benefit anyway.
And so on this Sabbath, I pray that you enjoy yours. Oh, and one thing to keep in mind: there is no such thing as having a successful
Sabbath. We shouldn't be concerned with achieving things (such as success) on the Sabbath, for that almost surely implies work. Just open yourself to the possibilities God has for you on this day. Enjoy.
