God in My Everything: How an Ancient Rhythm Helps Busy People Enjoy God

Sabbath reminds us that God invites us to stop. In fact, it’s more than an invitation—it’s a command.

We work from a place of rest, rather than desperately needing rest from our work. We are human beings, not human doings.

says author Alan Deutschmann in his book Change or Die, it is impossible for us to experience lasting change unless we are in some kind of relationship.

Ironically, attempting too many spiritual practices at once can actually keep our relationship with Jesus on the surface because we are not able to experience him deeply in any of those activities. It’s like speed dating. You can’t have a significant conversation with any one person even though, or rather because, you’re doing a lot of “dating.”

We may also find that a practice once helpful in the past no longer seems fruitful. We might consider dropping the practice or trying something more challenging.

nothing less than the force of a commandment has the power to make us stop.

We feel we have to do something to justify our existence. At school, at work, or as parents in the home we feel like we need to outrun our peers to validate our worth.

In Jesus’ day, the teachers of the law multiplied the rules and regulations around the Sabbath so that it was no longer a joy, but a burden; no longer a delight, but a duty. Jesus responded to this dreary view by saying, “The Sabbath was made for people, not people for the Sabbath.”

While most of us will not be turning over our belongings to a monastery, we may find that living by a rule enables us to dispose of certain things (material ones as well as habits and activities), making our lives feel less cluttered and lighter.