The Importance of Sabbatical

Rest is not something we take for granted. In reality, the things we might take for granted are things we really value but don’t plan for or take care of. You might take for granted time spent with your kids or the fact that your car will start every morning on the first try. I value my car starting when it should. But, do I take care of the inner workings to ensure that it will?

Rest is, in my opinion, NOT something that we take for granted because… for the most part, we don’t value rest. In my mind, rest is the opposite of hustle. It’s the opposite of getting things done. And, between family and work and home and my church community, I need to get a lot of things done. Even a vacation, which should be restful, requires planning and getting things done.

So, would you agree that we don’t value rest the way we should? At the Shaver household, we’ve often caught ourselves using a rest-day, like Saturday, as just another day to accomplish the chores and tasks we didn’t get to during the week.

But, I have to remind myself that taking a sabbatical or keeping a sabbath is a Biblical mandate. It’s a hard-line necessity. To honor the sabbath and keep it holy is one of the Ten Commandments. Consider that it appears alongside other commandments like Do Not Steal and Do Not Kill. You know, serious stuff. But do we honor the commandment of the sabbath with the same weightiness? We really should.

God rested. In Genesis, the very first book of the Holy Bible, the Lord of all creation rested on the seventh day. Think about it. The uncreated creator and the source of all energy, power, creativity, and wisdom thought it a good thing to stop. And rest.

And, then he commanded us to do the same.

For believers, keeping a sabbath or taking time for a sabbatical is not only about rest. It is also about practicing trust. And, I think that is the hardest part for me because I love a good nap but, trusting that my world won’t spin out of control if I don’t keep my hands hard at work is … it’s counter intuitive. A proper sabbath is a physical exercise as well as a spiritual exercise. It’s a trust exercise that affords us the opportunity to intentionally hand over to God all the responsibilities in your world that you think rely on you. And, we can realign to the understanding that it all relies on Him.

I rely on Him. My marriage relies on Him. My kids’ well-being, my house, my career, and my car starting each and every time…. It all relies on Him.

by: Aaron Shaver, Life Community Church Elder