By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done (Genesis 2:1-3)
Sabbath is a 24-hour time period of rest that God gave us as a gift to enjoy each week. It's a day to stop striving, working, accumulating, and accomplishing. It's an opportunity to stop and delight in what God has done for us.
A Sabbath day should include worship, rest and activities that we delight in.
Try the following in order to begin developing the practice of Sabbath in your life:
Pick a day to practice Sabbath. Jewish tradition is Friday at sundown until Saturday at sundown. Christian tradition is Saturday at sundown until Sunday at sundown. But the day of the week isn't as important as the practice itself, so pick a 24-hour period that works for you.
Even if it’s not possible to start a weekly Sabbath routine right now, just pick one day to try it. Start at sundown and go 24 hours. You will have to spend time before your Sabbath day planning and preparing for Sabbath (i.e. making sure you have groceries bought and chores done). Consider the following:
1. Stop: cease from all working, all thinking about working, all worrying and wanting.
2. Rest: Find ways to rest your body (eg. sleep), rest for your mind (calm down, reduce your mental stress), rest for your spirit (cease striving and rest in God’s love for you).
3. Delight: Pamper your soul with activities you enjoy: eat, golf, read, hike, spend time with family and friends, listen to music, play games, etc.
4. Worship: Go to church, read the Bible, pray. Spent time thanking God and praising him. Acknowledge his goodness toward you. Surrender your week to him.
The following sermons and sermon series' are all about Sabbath. Listen to them for further teaching and advice.
Sermon: The Sabbath (May 2020)
This sermon discussed the origins of Sabbth, it's purpose, and how to being implementing Sabbath into your weekly routine.
Sermon: The Rest of God (June 2017)
This sermon discussed how the Sabbath is a gift from God which provides the rest that we all need.