Sabbath Rest

‘You can’t live at the pace of modern ministry and expect a deep life with God. Sabbath is the weekly reset that keeps the soul alive.’ John Mark Comer

A sabbath rest means regularly taking a day off from ministry or work each week, with longer breaks called sabbaticals, often used for study or renewal. Since Sunday is usually busy for pastors, it’s recommended they choose a different day for rest and connecting with others.

Hurry is the killer for stopping a sabbath rest. Corrie ten Boom once said that ‘if the devil can’t make you sin, he’ll make you busy’. John Mark Comer adds to that by saying ‘Both sin and busyness have the exact same effect- they cut off your connection to God, to other people, and even to your own soul.’

Walter Adams was a spiritual director for C. S. Lewis. He said, ‘To walk with Jesus is to walk with a slow, unhurried pace. Hurry is the death of prayer and only impedes and spoils our work. It never advances it.’

Bible Perspective

On the seventh day God rested from His work (Genesis 2:2).
We are commanded to keep the Sabbath (Exodus 20:10).
‘The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath’ (Mark 2:27).
‘Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience’ (Hebrews 4:11).

In Jesus’ day the Sabbath was a Saturday, but then with the resurrection of Jesus on the Sunday the church changed over to that day. The key is the principle of setting aside one day each week which is important.

The problem many of us often face in ministry is overwork and we feel guilty if we don’t work hard.

Observation

Overworked and stressed people are largely ineffective in God’s kingdom. Jesus is not glorified when we go through burnout although good can come out of it, if it creates dependency upon the Lord. If Jesus sets us the example of taking time out, why should we do any less?
We need to recognise that there are different seasons in life; some are busier than others. Holding a full-time job along with raising a young family at the same time can be the most taxing of all of life’s seasons.
Overwork is commonly associated with low self-esteem and a need for people’s approval. This is largely shaped by the ‘Protestant work ethic’ that ties real success to hard work. This is wrong and ignores people affected by unemployment or illness. During my first pastorate, I worked every night for seven straight weeks, unconsciously trying to prove my worth as a good pastor. I would never do that now.
Our self-worth however should be based on who we are in ‘Jesus’, not simply by what we have accomplished for Him. Working hard is good and often satisfying, but not if that’s our source for building good self-worth and acceptance from others. My challenge with keeping a Sabbath rest is that I sometimes get so caught up in a project that I become driven and end up ignoring part of the Sabbath. There have been times when I came close to burnout before realising I needed to pull back from working so hard. It can take a longer or shorter time to come rested again depending on our circumstances.
Sometimes we overwork because we are rescuers and try to be saviours of the world. A good rule to remember is, am I working ‘for’ Jesus or ‘with’ Our Lord reminds us that he only did what he saw the Father doing. ‘Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does’ (John 5:19). Living by this principle takes a lot of strain out of doing ministry tasks.
Technology can easily become addictive and rob you of true Sabbath rest. For many years I made it a practice not to check emails at night or use technology on Sundays. Although I’m not as rigid with it now, that discipline was like a fast and it deeply refreshed me and strengthened my sense of rest. (For more on this see the blog on technology).
Practising Sabbath rest can be difficult when unhealthy work habits and unbiblical teaching are deeply ingrained in the culture around us. Not long back I lived in Singapore for two years, where many people worked long hours. It was not because they had to, but to make a good impression on their boss. On the other hand, I have a friend who works at an executive level. At 6pm he would tell those under him, ‘You need to leave work and get home to your families.’ That’s good advice. Try and be a boss like that.
Growing up without a father, I also felt the pressure of becoming the young man around the house. This meant I was often overworked, even though my mother appreciated everything I did. Emotional bondages like these sometimes need to be broken, whether through prayer or wise counselling.
To break free from the bondage of overwork, we need a fresh revelation from God. Pray about it and make a deliberate choice to overcome these patterns by resting well one day each week. That is, doing the things that refresh you deeply.
How can you best enjoy a weekly Sabbath rest? Sometimes a change is as good as a rest. Could it mean spending one day a week in a different environment doing different activities? Like reading a good book? Enjoying coffee? Meal out? Sitting in a library or developing a hobby? Or simply spending time with friends and your spouse?
Heidi Baker makes the comment, ‘We can enter into the storms of life and release love only when we have learned how to rest in God. Working ongoing long hours without a break is not being virtuous.’
Especially if you are in ministry, make it a priority to meet at least once a month with a spiritual advisor or director for reflection and guidance. During most of my years in ministry, this was a practice I followed.

Resources:
John Piper, Desiring God
Skye JetHani, With
John Mark Comer, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry

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