We are a restless generation. Always busy, always producing, always reaching for the next milestone. Yet deep within us is a longing that no amount of hustle can satisfy—a longing for rest. Not just physical rest, but a soul-deep rest that recalibrates us, recenters us, and reconnects us to the One who created us. That rest has a name: Sabbath.
Sabbath Is for Us
The Sabbath was never meant to be a burden. Jesus made that clear: “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27). It was designed as a gift, not a restriction. A rhythm of grace, not a religious rule. When God introduced the Sabbath in Genesis 2, He wasn’t instituting a system of control, but embedding a pattern of life into creation itself.
“Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it He rested from all His work…” (Genesis 2:3)
God didn’t rest because He was tired. He rested to delight. And He invites us into that same rest—not to prove our worth, but to enjoy His presence.
The First Mention and the Firstfruits
In Exodus and Leviticus, we see how the Sabbath was observed weekly, and how it connected to the feasts and rhythms of Israel. Leviticus 23 describes the Feast of Weeks—Pentecost—as occurring on the day after the seventh Sabbath following Passover, which is the first day of a new week. This was the day the Holy Spirit came. The church was born on a Sunday, not a Saturday. A new rhythm began. It was a prophetic declaration: we no longer work to rest—we rest so our work will be our worship, inspired and empowered by God’s Spirit.
The Sabbath moved. Not abolished, but transformed. Under the New Covenant, Jesus Himself became our Sabbath.
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
Jesus didn’t just teach the Sabbath. He fulfilled it. He is our rest.
The Counterfeit: Luxury vs. Rest
Today, we often seek rest in the form of luxury: a vacation, a spa, a weekend binge of comfort. But that kind of rest is fleeting. The word vacation comes from the Latin vacare, meaning “to be empty.” Many come back from a vacation more tired than they were before.
That’s why I prefer the term holiday—holy day. A day set apart. A day for delight, not just escape. Sabbath is not an escape from life—it’s a return to it. It’s the weekly reminder that life is not about performance but presence.
The Principle of Delight
The Hebrew word Shabbat means “to stop,” but it can also be translated “to delight.” Sabbath is not about legalism. It’s about joy. It’s a day to feast, laugh, sing, dance, make love, take walks, play games, read, and enjoy God’s goodness.
“The Sabbath, when experienced as God intended, is the best day of our lives… a full day of delight and joy is more than most people can bear in a lifetime, let alone a week.” – Dan Allender
So here’s the question: What could you do for 24 hours that would fill your soul with a deep, throbbing joy and awe for God?
Not Just a Day, But a Posture
Sabbath is more than a day to observe—it’s a principle to embrace. It is a weekly rhythm, but it’s also an inner posture. A lifestyle of resting in God’s finished work. As Hebrews 4 says, “There remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God…” not just one day, but a way of living.
We no longer run on the rhythm of performance, but the rhythm of grace. We don’t strive to earn approval—we live from approval. We don’t prove we are loved—we rest because we are.
Work becomes worship. Productivity flows from presence. We move from stillness, not toward it.
Implementing the Sabbath: Planning for Delight
But how do we actually practice Sabbath in a way that is life-giving and not legalistic?
The key is preparation. In Exodus 16:23, when Moses introduced the Sabbath to the Israelites, he said, “Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord; bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil today…” The Sabbath required forethought.
If we don’t plan for Sabbath, we’re likely to default back into our usual rhythms of productivity. Sabbath doesn’t mean we can’t be spontaneous—but it does mean we approach the day with intentionality. We make space to stop doing not only the things we usually do, but also the things we’ve been putting off—cleaning, shopping, fixing, organizing, hustling.
Instead, we create a day of delight. Some Jewish traditions refer to it as pleasure stacking—doing one joyful thing after another that brings life to your soul and those you love. A worship gathering should feel like a feast for your spirit, not a religious chore. Think: preparing and sharing a special meal, going for a long walk in nature, reading a novel, playing games with your kids, or having deep conversation over coffee.
Use a simple filter: Does this help me refuel, rejoice, reconnect, and rest in God’s goodness?
When we plan for Sabbath, we begin connecting with rest even before the day begins. We anticipate. We prepare. And as we do, we cultivate a rhythm that reminds us: life is a gift, not a project.
Sabbath Is Personal, Not Legalistic
In today’s world, setting aside a full day for Sabbath may not always feel possible. Maybe you work weekends. Maybe the only time you have to connect with people you love overlaps with days that are already full. Life can be complex—but Sabbath is not about perfect execution. It’s about purposeful intention.
The invitation is not into a legalistic formula but into a personal rhythm of intimacy, rest, and joy. The spirit of Sabbath matters more than the schedule. Don’t focus on when you do it—focus on why.
You are created for a personal walk with your Creator. So even how you celebrate the Sabbath is something to work out in communion with the One who is inviting you. Ask Him: What would a day of delight look like for me in this season? The Holy Spirit, who is always present and available, will guide you into a rhythm that fits your life and restores your soul.
The goal is not perfection—it’s presence. As long as your heart is set on resting, delighting, and worshiping, you’re walking in the purpose of Sabbath. And that’s the real power: knowing that the God who created time is not watching the clock—He’s simply waiting to spend time with you.
The Two Rhythms: Grace or Performance
There are two ways to live. One is the rhythm of performance—where we strive, plan, push, and depend on our own strength. That path leads to burnout and breakdown.
The other is the rhythm of grace—where we stop, listen, receive, and respond. We surrender. We pray. We become quiet. We observe. We delight. And out of that deep inner rest, we live, lead, and love.
It’s like catching a falling leaf. You don’t grab it. You receive it as it lands in your lap. That’s the posture of rest. That’s the way of the Sabbath.
Jesus: Our Eternal Sabbath
In the end, the Sabbath is not primarily about a calendar; it’s about Christ. Jesus is our true rest. And when we live in Him, we carry the Sabbath with us every day of the week.
But even so, the practice of a weekly Sabbath—whether Sunday or another day—is a way to anchor our lives in grace. It’s like tithing our time to God. We set apart one day to say: “I trust You to carry the weight of my life.”
If you don’t implement the Sabbath, eventually the Sabbath will implement you—through fatigue, burnout, sickness, or breakdown. But if you make it a rhythm now, it becomes a wellspring of joy and vitality.
Final Thoughts: Unwrapping the Gift
The Sabbath is not something to grasp intellectually—it’s something to experience. It’s the day we unwrap the gift of the new week. It is not religious, rigid, or reserved for the super-spiritual. It’s real, practical, and essential.
It is a weekly celebration of the truth that we are not what we produce. We are who He loves. And in that love, we rest.
So stop. Delight. Worship. Breathe. Laugh. Trust. Receive. Feast. And live.
Let Sabbath do what it was always meant to do—lead you home.
I stand in awe, this is it, this sums it up perfectly. Communion with Him, communion with the ones you love. (Good communication comes from Latin “to make common/to share”. That’s what we need for a good community;)).