Observing Sabbath Will Change Your Life. Here’s Why.

First things first: I am a Christ follower. I am not Jewish; I don’t observe Sabbath because it’s cultural. Instead, my family and I have begun observing Sabbath because it’s biblical.

My family observes Sabbath each week from 6 PM Saturday to 6 PM Sunday. We choose to set aside 24 hours each week to honor the Lord with our time, and it is one of the best decisions we have made as a family. Let me establish a few things before we get into the rest of this…

• I don’t think it matters when you observe Sabbath. It will vary for each family according to work and various other commitments. What matters is that you choose to set aside a day each week for the Lord.
• Don’t become legalistic about it. There have been some weeks that we haven’t been able to observe Sabbath due to unavoidable reasons. In those instances, we did our best to rest at other times during the week, and then returned to Sabbath the next weekend.
• “I’m too busy” is a poor excuse to avoid observing Sabbath. If the Creator of the world could rest on the seventh day, so can we. Nothing is more important than what He has for us.
• Explain to your kids why you are observing Sabbath. Study Scripture with them. Guide them in praying about what it means to them. Raising Jesus kids means including them in the spiritual decisions of your family. Take this as a practical opportunity to teach them how to honor God.
• When you choose to honor the Lord, He will honor and bless you. That, too, will look different for each family. Don’t focus on the blessing; that’s not what this is about. Focus on God and seek what He has for you in this time.

To The Word

The most important thing to consider when discussing observing Sabbath is – what does God say about it? What does His Word both command and ask of us? What is the best way to honor Him with the Sabbath? Let’s look first at some Scripture…

“By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because on it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.” – Genesis 2:2-3

“Now on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one. When all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, then he said to them, “This is what the Lord meant: Tomorrow is a Sabbath observance, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over put aside to be kept until morning.” So they put it aside until morning, as Moses had ordered, and it did not stink nor was there a maggot in it. Then Moses said, “Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field. Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will be none.”” – Exodus 16:22-26

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” – Exodus 20:8

“If, because of the Sabbath, you restrain your foot from doing as you wish on My holy day, and call the Sabbath a pleasure, and the holy day of the Lord honorable, and honor it, desisting from your own ways, from seeking your own pleasure and speaking your own word, then you will take delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; and I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” – Isaiah 58:13-14

“Jesus said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.'” – Mark 2:27

“Consequently, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. Therefore let’s make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following the same example of disobedience.” – Hebrews 4:9-11

A few things to take note of:

• God established Sabbath when He established the world. It was one of the first things He created. Consequentially, He was the first being to observe Sabbath, to rest from His work. There’s value in imitating our Creator.
• Sabbath was created for us. That means that we are not obligated to observe it, but instead we are encouraged to do so in order to reap the benefits God desires to give us. It is something that God established for us – certainly there is a good reason.
• Sabbath is a holy time. That doesn’t mean silence, reverence, and abstaining from anything pleasurable. In fact, Isaiah 58 tells us that Sabbath should be a pleasure for us. Instead, holy means “worthy of complete devotion.” It’s a time for us to devote to the Lord our hearts, minds, and attitudes.
• When we practice self-control in favor of obeying God, there is always a reward. Isaiah 58 promises us delight, riding on the heights, and being fed by the Lord. If we choose to not observe Sabbath, we are choosing to not receive these blessings directly from God.

What Does Observing Sabbath Look Like For Us?

As of this writing in early 2021, we have an almost 4 year old daughter, a 1.5 year old daughter, and a little boy arriving at any time. Rest assured – observing Sabbath in our home is not calm, quiet, and tranquil. But if you take a moment to read through those verses again, I think you’ll see that sitting silently in our home, reading the Bible by candlelight, singing only hymns, and being solemn before the Lord is not what He asks for.

Rather, God simply asks us to take our seventh day and lay it before Him. He knows there is no sweeter place than His rest, and He deeply desires for us to join Him there. Sabbath exists to bless us; it’s a time for us to simply delight in the Lord. How deep the Father’s love for us, that He would choose to meet us in His holy place of rest, week after week. That is why you will find me there – I want to meet with my Father.

We begin our Sabbath at 6 PM on Saturday. We eat supper, have our family Bible time, and get the kids ready for bed. Once they’re asleep, we choose to rest. No dishes, working, or planning. We might watch a movie, play a game, or go to bed early. Whatever we choose to do, we just rest.

On Sunday morning, we cook a nice breakfast and get ready for church. After church, we eat a meal that’s simple to prepare. Next comes rest time. For some, that means naps. For those that don’t nap, we watch a faith-based movie. After rest time, we spend time as a family, just enjoying each other, usually playing outside if the weather is nice. Supper is simple too – leftovers or snack plates. Then it’s either evening church or Bible time, and bedtime once again. That’s the end of our Sabbath.

It’s not complicated, and that is intentional. We want it to be something that can come naturally to us and our children. After several years of observing Sabbath in this way, we automatically fall into this rhythm of rest each weekend, and it is such a refreshing time.

How Can You Begin Observing Sabbath?

Below are some suggestions on how you can begin observing Sabbath in your family. None of these are required, and you may also have other ways that work for your family. Take this decision to the Lord in prayer and see what He says to do. Keep in mind – this is about honoring the Lord with your time, not following a set of rules.

• Choose a 24 hour period that will work for your family each week.
• Prepare simple meals and/or cook ahead of time.
• Avoid outside commitments such as youth sports, meetings, side hustles, etc.
• Fast from social media during Sabbath (I personally do this and it is one of my favorite parts of the week).
• Take a break from screen time or only view faith-based content.
• Abstain from housework, washing dishes, laundry, etc. (This was hard for me in the beginning, but the Lord truly makes my Mondays more productive when I choose to prioritize Him over my desire for a clean house.)
• Ask yourself what will make this a special time for you and your family. Is it a special meal to mark the beginning of Sabbath? A certain family activity? Treats for you and your kids? Remember – this isn’t a punishment! Make it something that your family looks forward to each week.

Now What?

As I said above, take it to the Lord in prayer. What would He have you do? Your Sabbath isn’t about you. It isn’t about me. It isn’t about rules or regulations or making it perfect. It’s about honoring the Lord with your time. When you seek His heart, He will always show you the way that is best for you and your family.

Soli deo Gloria,
Abbey