This week on Instagram, I came across a quote that I noticed had been reposted by several friends. I realized quickly that it resonated with many. The words struck a chord with friends in all different vocations: moms, career women and ministry leaders. I’ll let you read it below and see if it doesn’t spark an “amen” from you too.
My guess is that you can identify that the pace of life we are all trying to keep is taking its toll.
I’ll confess to you, this post deeply convicted me of the lack of rest in my own life. For an over-worker and people pleaser like myself, I struggle with the “Sunday Scaries.” In all vulnerability, there really haven’t been many Sundays this last year where the Sunday Scaries haven’t hit hard: the urgent weighs on me and rest seems elusive. I can start fretting about a busy week before even pulling out of the church parking lot.
But back to Casey’s quote, it made me think of the Jewish Sabbath (from Hebrew shavat, “to rest”) observed throughout the year on the seventh day of the week—Saturday. According to Biblical tradition, it commemorates the seventh day when God rested after completing creation.
Join me in taking a closer look at Genesis 2:2-3 (ESV):
“And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.”
As believers, we know that living a life without rest is not biblical; it’s not the life Jesus modeled for His disciples in the New Testament.
(Further reading: Mark 4:37-40, Matthew 14:23-24, Mark 6:31-32, Hebrews 4:9-11)
After living with the Sunday Scaries for far too many weekends, the Lord led me to understand His gifts of work and rest are sacred. My problem was I’d over-valued work and minimized the value of rest. I had always read Genesis 2:2-3 and thought God ceased all work on the seventh day. But that is actually not true. God worked for six days and rested on the seventh, but His resting didn’t stop him from creating.
He just created in a completely new and different way! On the seventh day of Creation, God created rest.
Reflecting on Casey’s post and accepting God’s invitation and command for rest, I realized I needed to become more intentional about incorporating shavat, as a new habit in my weekly routine.
God designed the Sabbath as a means to refuel our mind, body and spirit. Just as God modeled rest for us in Genesis, we don’t stop all activities. We just “work” in a different way. And just as new habits are formed through a combination of learning and repetition, we have to form new habits of rest by intentional repetition.
So, dear reader, let’s start today by incorporating one form of rest this week and making “Shavat” our new habit and obedience to His command. (Exodus 20:8-11)
This could look like:
- Putting down the calendar or planner and reading an extra story at bedtime.
- Postponing the dishes or laundry to call a long-distance friend.
- Setting your alarm 20 minutes earlier to meet with Jesus.
Rest is truly the secret sauce our enemy doesn’t want us to know about. By honoring the Sabbath more peace will come and the Sunday Scaries will cease.
Author Info
Rebecca Falkner
A Carolina girl living in the great state of Texas, Rebecca has worked in ministry for the last thirteen years. Rebecca graduated from Winthrop University with a B.S. in Elementary Education. She worked as a kindergarten and special education teacher before moving to Houston to work with This Redeemed Life and Second Baptist Church. When Rebecca isn’t chasing her two toddlers, she loves writing, gardening and trying new recipes with her husband.