Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is in your gates. For in six days the Lord made Heaven and Earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath and made it holy.
Exodus 20:8-11
Almost a year ago, I felt it was time to take this passage seriously. In a very busy and quick-paced world, we barely value a planned time of rest that allows us to relax and take a break from our labors. Before my commitment to celebrating a Sabbath, I used Sunday mainly as a day to catch up on everything that I had fallen behind on - mainly school work or cleaning the house. But honestly, I knew that God wants us to dedicate this day to rest, fellowship, family, and most importantly, worship.
So before a few weeks before school started, I committed myself to the Sabbath, and surprisingly, it was hard. I wanted so much to work and "get stuff done." But like any habit we want to cultivate, it starts off as a challenge, and gets easier over time. Starting before school ensured that I didn't have to worry about my school work, and the plan worked beautifully. As summer turned to fall, I was already in the habit of not working on Sundays.
I also discovered some other surprising benefits that happen outside of Sunday. At school, I was more effective and productive. We also started doing dishes everyday, instead of a mega-load of dishes every few days. When necessary, all the important stuff with school and home was taken care of on Saturday, which gave Sunday a chance for everyone to rest and relax. Before too long, Sundays became a joy again; it's a day I look forward to now. Unsurprisingly, God knows what is best for us, even when we think that we have a better plan. Huh, who knew?
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