Renewed & Ready: Filling Your Soul For The Year Ahead – Week 5

Sabbath Rest

“Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. For six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work …”. – Exodus 20:8-10

If keeping the fourth commandment is not part of your weekly rhythm, you’re not alone. Most of the people on our retreats this year, including pastors, do not observe God’s urging to rest one day in seven.

But at what cost? On our retreats we see a lot of worn-down, overly-busy, and stressed-out leaders. You likely know people like that, too. Maybe that description fits you more often than you like to admit.

Slowing down the pace of life one day in seven creates space for delight, rest, relationships, worship, and the healthy perspective that our identity rests in Christ not in what we accomplish or accumulate.

One of highlights of this past year for me was hearing the stories from guests who attended one of our retreats and then applied what they learned about sabbath rest when they went home. One pastor, who began practicing sabbath with his wife, said to me, “Our lives are so much better. We still have a lot to learn about this new rhythm but we’re so grateful.” Many months later, they’re still at it.

What might the blessings be for you to slow down one day in seven?

What would you need to cease from on that day? What could you delight in?

Keeping a sabbath is a radical step in our time. Are you willing to take it?

“We need to relearn how to power down, unplug, disconnect, take a break, and be in one place at one time. We forget that we’re not a machine. We can’t work 24/7.” –John Mark Comer in Garden City

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_{Steve Ebling | January 2025}