Understanding the SabbathSample

Sabbath Today

You may be wondering, “Do I need to keep the Sabbath? Is it even necessary since it was in the Old Testament?” It’s absolutely necessary! In most cultures, people are busier than ever and spend more time navigating their hectic family schedules. So, rest is essential for us to live healthy, strong lives. Let’s look at a couple of examples of practicing Sabbath rest:

Blue Zone — Loma Linda, California

Author and explorer, Dan Buettner, describes Blue Zones as regions in the world where people live longer. In the United States, the community of Loma Linda, California, is a Blue Zone, and it’s residents live ten years longer than the average person. A large population of Seventh-day Adventists reside in this city and attribute their longevity to things like regular exercise and vegetarianism. But, their first suggestion to people is to “Find a sanctuary in time.” This 24-hour Sabbath allows them to break from daily life and focus on God, family, and friendships, all the while relieving the stress from their daily lives. 

A Different Reason for Sabbath

While keeping the Sabbath is typically a faith-based practice, more and more people outside of faith world have adopted it. A large amount of people residing in Silicon Valley, the home to many high-tech companies and the southern part of the San Francisco Bay area, have incorporated an “Internet Sabbath.” They shut down their devices for a day or even the weekend. 

The point in sharing both examples is that whether someone is a person of faith or not, God created the Sabbath for us. There is purpose in it.

Legalism would say that we can’t work or do business on a Sunday, which many consider to be the Sabbath. If we’re being technical, the Sabbath in the Bible was Saturday. So, let’s not worry about the particular day of the week that we rest. Instead, let’s set aside one day for the rest that only comes when we cease working, and then allow God to refuel us and give us a deep rest in our bodies, minds, and souls. 

The concept of keeping the Sabbath really comes down to a trust issue. We either trust ourselves to handle our lives, or we trust God. If we trust ourselves, chances are good that we’ll end up working ourselves to sheer exhaustion, possibly even an early death. But, if we choose to trust our good God, the One who goes before us, comforts us, and strengthens us, we’ll see more progress in a healthy six days of work than a depleted seven-day work week. Could it be that we don’t rest well because we don’t trust God? Let’s choose to trust God.