A Day of Rest: Part One

Somehow we’ve gotten to a point where resting and recharging is looked down upon, as though it is a sign of weakness. We’ve given people (family, friends, clients) 24 hour access to our lives through social media notifications, texting, and email. Who are we kidding…of course, we got the email because we don’t set our phones down for 2 minutes. Right?

Or what about “the hustle”? Now a 40 hour work week is somehow less than “full time.” It’s not enough to have one job, you’ve got to have a side hustle, too. Between work, constantly checking our phones, and the bombardment of “news” media, our brains and life in general never stop spinning.

We weren’t meant to live like this. It’s no wonder that more and more people are suffering from mental health issues. And our immune systems become weaker when we don’t take time to care for ourselves. Worked to the bone? Yikes, not good.

“If you’re tired, learn to rest, not quit.”

So what’s the answer? How do we fix this? A day of rest. Simple as that, a day of rest. One day a week, every week, where you unplug from distractions. One day a week of no working on emails or working around the house doing laundry or yard work. A day to do nothing but rest!

Many people do this because their faith calls them to do it. A Sabbath day is one to worship and to abstain from work. Some people get half-way there by going to church to worship, but then they fall short of the rest portion. The best part! (Read: Deuteronomy 5:12-14 and Hebrews chapter 4)

Even if your faith doesn’t call you to take a day of rest, there’s no denying that it’s a good choice for your mental and physical well-being. But, it’s easier said than done, right? I mean, something always comes up. It’s true, and I am not sharing to be legalistic in any way. In the next few weeks I’ll be sharing blog posts on taking a day of rest. I won’t be sharing “rules” for observing a day of rest, or Sabbath. I’ll be sharing a starting point: How to prepare so that you can truly rest, Suggestions for how to spend your day, Recipes I like to use, and so forth.

If you weren’t raised observing a day of rest, this might be completely new for you. I hope that you’ll come back for the rest of the series. In the meantime, spend some time thinking (praying) about all of the benefits a day of rest would mean for you and your family.

Further reading: Isaiah 58:13-14, Exodus 20:8-11, Hebrews chapter 4

• Day of Rest: Part One
• Day of Rest: Part Two, Preparation
• Day of Rest: Part Three, The Day
• Day of Rest: Part Four, Food Prep and Recipes