When You Don't Take Sabbath

#59

Friend,

“If you don’t take sabbath, sabbath will be forced upon you.” Dr. Reg Johnson

Throughout the past 15 years, I’ve told dozens of people the quote above from one of the professors at my seminary. I didn’t even have him for a class, but that quote has stayed with me all these years. “If you don’t take sabbath, sabbath will be forced upon you.”

Since you aren’t taking sabbath, sabbath is taking you. You felt it a few days ago, that sore throat, runny nose, or slight headache. Your body was whispering to you, but now your body is screaming at you, “Stop.”

Pain indicates something isn’t right, and your body hurts because your pace is unsustainable.

God designed us for rest. He created us not as robots to do his work, but as people to enjoy his creation and presence. That is part of the foundational story of creation.

And after his people spent decades as slaves, he frees them from always working and then commands them to rest. Part of the rationale of God is found in Deuteronomy 5, “Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.”

Remember that God has delivered his people from slavery. One way to think about slavery is as an existence where you feel like you can’t stop. (Obviously, there are real slaves today who can’t stop.)

But you can stop. You can rest. And I want you to choose to do so, because if not a forced sabbath will choose you.

Love,

Aaron

P.S. If you need prayer, then I’d be honored to pray with you. Just let me know.