Rest
As I tried to write 5 final papers in a week, while also trying to exercise and make food and see family and clean my house, friends brought up how meaningful taking a Sabbath day has been for them. I thought to myself that I could never do that, not with my life as a student. But deep down, I felt a longing for what they talked about; a day set aside to rejuvenate my soul. I longed for time uninterrupted by what my professors, my family, or even by my own desires wanted of me.
I realized my life had become a competition of me against my expectations. I wanted to be the best student, wife, and daughter I could, to please all of the people closest to me. I wanted to have the cleanest house and the most lively social life so outwardly people could see I had it all together. I wanted to be recognized for my efforts in all of these areas, even though I felt more like a failure in every one of them. I left no room for God to change my plans and no silence to hear his voice. I asked God what he wanted for my life, but only gave him his allotted 5 minutes while I quickly ate breakfast and read a chapter of the Bible. I cried over feeling stressed about what I wanted in life, but ran to my friends and husband before going to my father with my burdens.
“The Sabbath was not made for man, but man for the Sabbath.”
I was not made to strive, to be contributing something to society, to be accomplishing every second of every day. I was made to rest. I was made to work, too, but I was made to need time with my Father. I was made to need time to stop doing what the world expects and to be open to do what God designed for me.
Think about it: our bodies can’t even remain conscious and active for more than 24 hours before it starts to malfunction. We need physical rest daily; we need to sleep. Why do we treat our minds and souls differently? The world values work, and often confuses ambition with striving. I believed if I wasn’t doing something that bettered my grades, health, or bank account, I was being lazy. Even spiritually, I felt the pressure to fill spare time with helping at church, or meeting up with people to encourage them, despite feeling so drained in my own spiritual life. I believed that alone time was selfish.
The Sabbath was never meant as a burden or a goal; is a gift. It’s a ticket out of the striving. It’s an invitation to true rest. Because this is part of our design. It actually helps us in all other areas of life. Much like how we give a portion of our finances as a sign of trust that our Father will take care of us and give us what we need, giving of our time also shows that we trust that He will give us the time we need to do all that we need. I know life is busy, but we are not made to go all the time. If we trust that our Father knows what’s best for us, then taking a the step to sacrifice of our time should be easy. It’s humbling to admit we can’t do it all on our own, but that’s the freedom we have in Christ. We have the freedom to quit striving and show that our strength lies in Him.
words by Breanna Wideman and photo by Marlow Amick