How do you really, genuinely, rest? Those who work at a desk all day may rest by taking a long walk, gardening, biking, or another activity. On the other hand, those who are active at work all day may rest by reading or zoning out in front of a screen. Introverts rest by themselves; extroverts recharge with others. The permutations are endless.
My husband retired a few weeks ago, and he had to learn to stop thinking about work. (It didn’t take long.) That’s where his mind went, even when he rested or took a few days off. It reminds me that deep rest is not easy to find.
“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping 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, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” Exodus 20:8-11
The Sabbath was God’s way of teaching the Israelites to truly rest one day each week, and he was serious about it. They had just left Egypt where they had been slaves with no choice but to work day after day with no rest. You would think that he wouldn’t have had to make a commandment to observe the Sabbath, that a day of rest every week would have been a treat, but the command was repeatedly broken.
The Sabbath has regularly been misunderstood.
When this command was given, the Israelites were totally dependent on God for their food, water, everything, they had no jobs or income, and their identity had been misshapen as slaves, yet they didn’t always obey the 4th commandment. Why not?
They were focused on the wrong kingdom.
The Sabbath was a weekly taste of the Kingdom of God. Everyone, from the highest to the lowest was to rest. Sons, daughters, servants, animals, everyone, rested. No one could lift a finger. They all had time to enjoy God and enjoy each other. In the Kingdom of God, everyone is equal, no one is burdened, no one but God is in charge, and he will meet all of our needs perfectly. But, we live in the kingdoms of the world, we want to be in control, and we resist God’s invitation to rest in Him.
To rest in God is to find genuine rest.
In our day, work is the source of our income, contributes to our identity, and we find satisfaction and success through our work. It’s hard to turn off the dependence on our work. We resist trusting in our creator. We resist living in the Kingdom of God and prefer to remain in the kingdoms of the world. To rest one day a week is to let go of our control, enjoy God, enjoy each other, and trust God. That’s what was intended for the ancient Israelites and that’s what is intended for us today.
Retirement is an opportunity to take a long Sabbath rest, a sabbatical, and it’s an opportunity to trust God more than you did when you were working. Who are you if you’re not an engineer, teacher, or construction worker? You are God’s child, just like you’ve always been. Let God make that clear. Do you have enough money saved? What if health issues require extra care and expense? God knows. He will provide for you.
Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. Matthew 6:34 The Message
I encourage those who will retire soon or have recently retired to take a sabbatical. Rest. Just rest. Make it your priority to enjoy the work you have done, to appreciate the world around you, spend time with family and friends, and to thank and worship the God who made it all possible. Ask God what your next steps will be, and don’t be in a rush to take them. Rest.
My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him. Psalm 62:1
Does the idea of a sabbatical sound difficult or enticing to you? How long would yours be? What does the Sabbath mean to you?
Photo by Felix Russell-Saw on Unsplash
Appreciate the gentle reminder. It’s hard to break habits of 30 and 40 years. However I am relishing in pivoting working into volunteering and charitable actions. Not always on Shabbat!
Spot on. "Pondering" is my favorite form of rest.