5 Unique Ways to Practice Sabbath Rest
One of the most neglected of the 10 Commandments is the fourth one. Most of us won’t murder someone (although we might hate them in our heart). We try to honor the Lord and not take His name in vain. Respecting our parents, while not always easy, is a commonly held value in our culture. But keeping the Sabbath holy is all but laughable in most circles.
Even if we carve out time on Sunday to worship with other believers (an optional practice for many of us), that is where our obligation ends. We go to church, we make pleasant conversation with those in the hallway, then we get home and the rest of Sunday is just Saturday 2.0 as we begin prepping for the work week ahead.
The Sabbath didn’t begin with the 10 Commandments, it was part of Creation from the very beginning. God set a pattern by resting on the 7th Day. He gazed over all of Creation and, pleased with His work, took a day to rest.
Let’s stop and think about that, God, who never tires, took time to rest.
In a culture absorbed with “self-care,” I wonder what would happen if we all took this commandment seriously?
It’s important. It’s not just about going to worship, the Sabbath is a much-needed break from the tedium of our other days. Our days should be filled so that on Sunday’s we can stop and look at what we have done with satisfaction.
We should savor the goodness of God and enjoy the day He has given us free from labor.
Here are 5 ways to practice enjoying Sabbath rest.
1) Make a Delicious Meal
I know this sounds counter-productive to resting but seriously, what says rest like eating amazing food? You don’t have to spend hours laboring over a stove, although for some that can be a relaxing part of enjoying the Sabbath. If that’s not you, crockpots can be an amazing tool! Prep the day before and throw a roast in on Sunday morning before church. When you get back home, feast and remember the goodness of God.
2) Unplug from Technology
How many of us are guilty of check our work email over the weekend? It is absurdly common and must stop on Sundays. The Sabbath is a day of rest, not a day of preparation. Read that again slowly, rest, not preparation.
We shouldn’t be spending our day of rest of the whim of another. The Sabbath should be spend not fretting around like Martha but simply sitting at the feet of the Lord like Mary. Seek stillness.
Put your phone on the counter and turn the ringer on. If someone truly needs to get ahold of you, they will call. Otherwise, it can probably wait. Resist the temptation to start looking at the week ahead and savor your Sunday but putting down your mobile office.
3) Fellowship with Other Believers
Sunday is the ideal day to spend unhurried time with friends. Invite them into your home and break out the board games. Tell each other stories and learn about life. Talk about the sermon or just watch football. The important thing is to engage with the believers in your life and to build deep, meaningful relationships with them. This comes through spending a significant amount of time with nothing on the agenda. Spending your post-Church time engaged with believers carries the worship part of Sunday morning into the rest of the day and helps sanctify your daily living. Take this time to put simple hospitality into practice.
4) Spend Time in Nature
When was the last time you went outside for the sake of being outdoors? Creation is a beautiful gift to enjoy. There are so many unexpected benefits simply from stepping over the threshold of your door and soaking in the way the sunlight dances through the shadows cast from the leaves and listening to the birds sing. Jesus told us that if we had kept silent, the rocks would have cried out in worship. Creation knows and responds to His voice. We are called to tend to it. That was the work we were charged with at Creation. When we spend time in nature on the Sabbath, we cultivate a love for what God has charged us to do the other 6 days of the week.
5) Read A Book
I’m a little biased because reading is a passion of mine but I don’t think there is a better way to recharge. Reading disconnects you from the busyness of life and forces your body to calm while your mind engages in beauty. Reading through the lectionary for the week is a great way to center your heart around the Lord and His works. Engaging with the thoughts of other believers, either in fiction or non-fiction, also has it’s purposes in resting your mind and calling your heart to holiness.
Check out my previous book reviews here for some ideas on what to add to your Sunday reading list!
Bonus: Prep on Saturdays
Sunday has unfortunately taken the role in our week as the day of preparation for the working week instead of the day of rest. Start reclaiming your Sabbath by prepping on Saturday for both a relaxing Sunday and an easy work week.
Do your meal prep on Saturdays and sat aside an amazing crockpot meal to enjoy after church. Do your errands, cleaning, planning, etc. on Saturday. Don’t leave it for Sunday. Embrace a true day of rest by getting all of the must-dos done on Saturday and leaving anything extra for Monday. I promise, it’s worth reclaiming the holy rest God ordained for us.
Don’t give up. Reclaiming the Sabbath won’t happen overnight but I encourage you to start somewhere. It may be a swim against the stream but keeping God’s commandments is always a battle worth fighting. You will be blessed for your desire and efforts to honor Him in your work and your Sabbath rest.
If you enjoyed this post, check out:
Cultivating Sabbath Rest; Disciplines of the Faith
10 Christian Books That Need to Be On Your Radar
Reclaiming the Sacred in Your Days
Spiritual Disciplines: Accountability In Church Community
The Comments
Carri
Nice insights into Sabbath observance! I like the thought of spending time in nature. And from now on, I’m unplugging.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
These are wonderful ways to rest! Perfect for the soul 🙂
Kathleen Hamilton
Rebecca @ Strength and SunshineHelpful Notes for modrate Sabbath practioner
Sarah Althouse
Thank you for this! I’ve been thinking about the Sabbath lately and wanting to find ways to make it more holy but didn’t know where to start.
Kristin Cook
Yes! Reclaiming the Sabbath is something that I have been learning lately because I got for a while where I was constantly doing social media work on the weekend and I have recently been learning how much of a toll that was taking on me. Focusing on God and rest needs to take #1!
Katie Braswell
I’m completely guilty! We have been so “busy”! I’ve forgotten how important the Sabbath is, and how God commands us to set it aside, make it different than all other days! This is a helpful list! Thank you for sharing!
Dianna
You’re totally speaking my language! Last fall I was really convicted to seek out more “Quiet & Still” intentionally. I was harvesting verses for my #biblequiltjournal and making flip cards to steep in daily. I ended up writing a #31daysofquiet series for our blog, ordinarythreads.com. Many of the points you share here resonate deeply with what I’ve been referring to as Chasing Quiet. It certainly is a discipline! Have you read Shelly Miller’s book, Rhythms of Rest? It was a lovely affirmation of what I had been contemplating and exploring on my own. Enjoy your Sabbath journey!
Kristi
God definitely wanted Sabbath to be a day of rest. When we look at how many promises are tied to the Sabbath, we can’t deny that he wants us to rest in Him.
Aryn
Yes! Exactly! Why is this so hard for us? It seems obvious, but if we try, so often we make it work, and that defeats the purpose! Thanks for simplifying it!
Esther Hosea
What a wonderful reminder and great list of ideas! My husband has been saying for some time that we need to do a better job of truly resting on Sundays. We’re getting better and better, but we’ll have to implement some of your ideas too! Thanks for a great post!
fame
do you have any suggestions for those who need to work on sundays. there are a lot of us who work in the service sector that has one off day and usuallly on a weekday.
Bailey
fameFame, That used to be me! I would recommend trying to worship with fellow believers on Sunday mornings as much as possible. I would also suggest trying to take Sabbath on one of your days off instead of playing “catch up.” Finally, I would encourage you to try to move towards takings Sundays off if that’s possible. Even if it can’t happen in the near future, talk to your managers and see what options you have to set Sunday aside for religious purposes.
Amy Terry
These suggestions are sure to help you slow down. I just read in the gospel of Mark, the series on my blog right now, that the Sabbath is a gift given to us. God is so good to give us permission to rest. To tell us to make sabbath a routine part of this beautiful life. Thank you!
Marya
I try to unplug 24 hours. Not always successful though!
juanita deloris
This brings back memories. As a kid Sundays were relaxing, it was a break from the hussle and bussle of the week. There was no running and playing on this day. It was a time for church, naps, family dinner, book reading, board games, and Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom before bed :). It always amazes me how we can get pulled away from those good, “Bible-based” habits we once held dear. Thanks for sharing how to bring the much need rest of the Sabbath back into our lives.
Rebecca
Taking a day to find balance in our lives and have a sabbath observance is just so important. There are so many ways to practice this and it really does heal the mind, the body and the soul.
Crystal // Dreams, etc.
I love the idea of prepping on Saturday, instead of on Sunday like i usually do. I remember the first time I realized that the Sabbath and rest was part of God’s design for the world, that He rested on the seventh day BEFORE the fall and it wasn’t a RESPONSE to the fall. Even though I know rest and the Sabbath is good–the Sabbath is a gift–I often see it as weakness that i need to take a break from my work. But it’s not. I need to work on actually incorporating the Sabbath into my life–and have taken steps to do so, which feels great!
Colleen Mitchell
What are your thoughts on treating Saturday as the Sabbath? Some people work Sunday – Thursday, or other uncommon shifts.
Bailey
Colleen MitchellI have been in that situation before! I think that part of the Sabbath is celebrating it as an entire Church community. However, I recognize that there are some essential jobs (medical, emergency service, etc.) that make that impossible in which case, of course, honoring a different day is possible. As much as you are able, I think you should try to keep Sunday set aside as the Sabbath.
Red
Colleen MitchellJesus had risen on a sunday, a day after the sabbath day accdg to Matthew 28:2. Saturday, the 7th day of the wk is the day God rested, hallowed, and blessed. It is special to Him that He set it apart for fellowship with Him, our Creator.
Joyce
Colleen MitchellWell, if you study the Scriptures you’ll find that Saturday still remains the Sabbath and Friday is prep day. 💕 The 7th day is the only day that was set apart and blessed as the day of rest. The change to Sunday was a change made by man.
Erin @ Her Heartland Soul
Unplugging from tech is wonderfully restorative!
Bailey
Erin @ Her Heartland SoulIt’s incredibly helpful!
B
Great ideas! However, I have learned sabbath is the 7th day. I’ve taken a lot of time to think and pray about this. Just words of encouragement!
Bailey
BThank you for sharing, Britta. I have studied and prayed about it as well. Thankfully, there is grace for areas where we disagree with one another.
kage2015
I like all of your suggestions. Our faith is lived 24 hours a day everyday of the year. Study scriptures everyday, pray, give service and try to make this a better place.
Bailey
kage2015Amen! We should live our faith out each and every day.
Megan Thompson
Unplugging is a must on my Sabbath day and it’s fun to make a nice meal and just enjoy it! Thanks for sharing!!
Bailey
Megan ThompsonIt’s such a perfect day for that!
Kristin B Cook
I’ve been attempting to get better about not saving my prep work. It’s a process, but I agree with you.
Bailey
Kristin B CookIt’s a struggle for me each and every week. Some weeks, I definitely fall short. It’s important to not lose heart but to keep pressing on.
Diana
Unplugging completely is something I need to work on. I always make the excuse that I have the Bible app so I need to use my phone but then my brain tells me I need to check my social media as well. Thank you for the great insights and different ways we must honor Sabbath.
Bailey
DianaYou’re not alone! I definitely struggle with it too!
kage2015
No shopping, tv on sabbath day. All about going to church, fellowshipping, visiting family, reading scriptures, writing in journals, enjoying the outdoors etc.
Bailey
kage2015Such good practices!
21flavorsofsplendor
This is a great reminder. My husband and I recently removed ourselves from a few ministries at our church because it was getting harder to actual rest on Sunday. I need to get better about meal prep on Saturday to prepare for Sunday.
Bailey
21flavorsofsplendorYes! It’s such a struggle to balance wanting to serve the church with allowing ourselves to rest on the Sabbath.
Jenny Morrison
These are such great ideas! Thank you for sharing as we all need to be better at resting.
Bailey
Jenny MorrisonThanks, Jenny!
Jennifer Enoch
All these ideas sound wonderfully relaxing. I’m really desiring to get into the habit of resting. I don’t want to fill EVERYDAY with stuff, while being unintentional about time with God. One thing I’ve tried to do was to make a crockpot meal or make ahead meal for Sunday dinner. This has really helped me to be able to get out to our night service, which is a quiet time of fellowship and worship.
Bailey
Jennifer EnochExactly! It’s so important to take a break from the everyday worries and habits. Crockpots are my go-to! I’ve also started doing a deep clean of the house on Saturday so everything feels fresh and ready for the Sabbath.
Barbara
You are a committed Christian woman shining your light into a dark world. I pray that you continue searching the Scriptures and growing in your daily walk with Christ.
I think you will find that the true Bibical Sabbath is from sundown Friday until sundown Saturday, not Sunday as is commonly believed.♥️
Bailey
BarbaraBarbara, I appreciate you taking the time to read and comment. I have done quite a bit of studying on the subject and will have to agree to disagree with you on the Sabbath day. I am eager to celebrate and worship on the day Christ rose from the dead as the Early Church did.
Amy Irvin
Awesome post! I could definitely stand to implement some or all of these practices. thanks and God bless you.
Changing things up – Pastorbluejeans Ramblings
[…] read a blog post that talks about five creative ways to practice Sabbath, I encourage you to read it. In addition to […]
Carol
My sister,the CREATOR GOD does not change,if GOD says “Remember”the Sabbath day to keep it Holy,why do men think they can change the things of a Holy GOD.
Let GOD’S Holy Spirit lead you into HIS Truth,and also please do your research as to why you worship on a “Sun”-day,and how Sunday worship cam about GOD BLESS.
Kate
Friday should be prep for sabbath, the Sabbath is the 7th day of the week. God rested on the 7 the day not the first day of the week.