Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for people, not people for the Sabbath.”
Mark 2:27
Recently, my couples therapist suggested that I be more intentional about taking my Sabbaths. I thought I was pretty good about taking Sabbath, but she pointed out that I was good at self-care and having fun but bad at taking Sabbath. She explained that there are three types of ways people take care of themselves: self-care, escapism, and Sabbath. Self-care are things we do to treat or take care of ourselves like exercise, haircuts/facials, and eating well. Escapism are things we do for fun or to “escape” like watching movies, playing video games, or going to a sporting event. Sabbath are things we do that are restful and restorative to the soul like prayer, long walks, or being in nature. So for the past couple of months, I set aside Monday mornings for Sabbath practices and I realized that there is an emptying and filling flow to Sabbath. We empty ourselves or “clear our minds” of work and our spirits are filled by the Holy Spirit. Sabbath is the necessary practice of letting God to breathe life into us and speak gentle whispers of His love. How wonderful it is that one of God’s most basic commands is the command to rest in Him. The Sabbath was made for God’s people as a gift.
I love what this author and mom of seven kids shares about the importance of taking Sabbath every week.
