By Lisa Santelli
Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.
Deuteronomy 5:12
To cease. To rest. A celebration of restoration.
The Hebrew word for Sabbath is shabbat. Shabbat means “to cease work, to rest”; and it’s a celebration of restoration. In Deuteronomy 5, God reminds the Israelites that they were brought out of Egypt and are no longer slaves. Sabbath can be viewed as a gift of kindness: God doesn’t expect us to work tirelessly, but instead wants to give us a day to rest, restore and remember His goodness.
Growing up, our household didn’t practice Sabbath. And, if I’m being honest, I grew up in a strict Christian home that believed in upholding all the other commandments—but somehow, Sabbath was glossed over. To me, it was more of an Old Testament law orthodox religions observed.
In recent years, I’ve had greater curiosity and some enlightenment in upholding this commandment. My workload started increasing tremendously, which led to a path of creating margin and rest. At first, it was about self-care. More currently, it’s discovering the biblical commandment to honor Sabbath. It’s learning what Sabbath means, how to honor it and creating intentionality.
The second part of the commandment is “keep it holy.” As I was first learning to incorporate margin and rest in my life, the focus was on unplugging and learning to say no. But, when honoring Sabbath, the intention is to keep it holy: set apart, consecrated, pure in heart. It’s about taking time on Sabbath to remember the faithfulness and wonders of God. It’s sharing His goodness with others. Sabbath can be time between you and God, or time reflecting on God with others.
As I started to create a rhythm of Sabbath, I suddenly found myself in one of my busiest seasons: multiple trips, packing the house and preparing for a move, in addition to working full time. My days and hours were limited, and I was wrestling with how I could honor God with a Sabbath day in the midst of this. Perhaps you can relate? But God. He’s so gracious. On one trip, I was able to connect with a childhood friend. We had the sweetest time enjoying nature and sharing beautiful God stories. God carved out time He knew I needed to provide refreshment and rejuvenation.
Sabbath may look different for everyone. A friend told me she takes one day a week after she drops her son off at school to go for a solo run, stop for coffee, then sit and have some unrushed conversations with God. No interruptions; just beautiful holy moments. For others, Sunday night dinners with family are their time to reflect. And I have a few friends who are intentional about starting their Sabbath by lighting a candle to dedicate sacred time to God.
If you are like me, just beginning to develop rhythms of Sabbath, I challenge you to seek God on where you can start incorporating it. What could those special moments look like for you and your family? Invite God into the process, and He will make space and multiply your time.
Father God, we adore You and thank You for giving us a day of rest—a day that is set aside to both honor You and give our body, spirit and soul the spiritual, emotional, mental and physical rest it requires to stay rejuvenated and to continue to give our best in all You call us to be. Your goodness is unending, and Your mercies are so sweet. You think of every detail, caring more for our welfare than how much we can perform. For the areas we may struggle to make space, clear the path and show us how we can start honoring this commandment that You gave us for our own benefit. May we be obedient in beginning to create this sacred rhythm of honoring Sabbath, and may You multiply the time and create order in our steps. In Jesus’ name, amen.