Final Reflections on Rest

We’ve had more than 50 different reactions on Sabbath rest over the last two weeks. The collected works all agree — setting aside time in obedience to God can change your life.

Conversations in Faith has a wonderful post chronicling her life of hard effort through school and work. We all instinctively know that sloth gets us nowhere. But now, after a period of forced Sabbath (a common theme, it seems,) Nancy learned to appreciate the rest – “I could embrace it. I could cherish it.”

We were unaware that a blog had already dedicated itself to the rest. Fellow High Calling Blogger Sabbath Says has a number of intriguing posts. We were especially drawn to the Rules and Exceptions post for Megan’s Sabbath observation. “Thou shalt not exercise (unless thou needs a good run to clear thy head) and “Thou Shalt not go out to eat (unless thy grandmother is paying)” crackle with irony.

Sam Van Eman writes that the problem is in his practice of the principle. “My integrity falters because here appears the disparity between what I say and what I do. I’d rather accomplish than rest…”

Kay Martin, of Thrive Christian, wrote an entire week of posts on her reflections on Sabbath. And thanks to Cathie of God’s Will Be Done for the initial inspiration.

It seems that everyone has a different approach –– and that’s not a bad thing. Rather than fuss over the rules and the correct way to observe the Sabbath, we should review the Red Letters of Jesus. “Man was not made for the Sabbath, but the Sabbath was made for man.”

Now – enough talk. Let’s actually figure out how to use this.