Traditionally, the Sabbath day was to be only on Sundays, to observe the day that God took to rest after creating the world. After Christ died for our sins, Christians were given the freedom to choose their Sabbath. Romans 14:5-6 says, “One person considers some days to be more sacred than others, while another person considers all days to be the same. Each person must have their own convictions. Someone who thinks that a day is sacred, thinks that way for the Lord…”, therefore, we are allowed to decide which day of the week we take a full 24 hours to rest.
I personally choose to spend my Sabbath on Saturdays. I have found that my soul feels more at rest when I take my day of rest on Saturdays, for many reasons. So, what does the day of rest look like to me? Here are a few things that I do, and some ideas for you to try out.
Start the day off with a Bible study
Unless I wake up incredibly late, the first thing I do every morning is get a cup of coffee, and do a few Bible plans on the YouVersion Bible App. On Saturdays, I will spend up to an hour doing a Bible Study while drinking my coffee. I will turn on some soft worship music and just spend time one-on-one with the Lord.
Spend time with yourself
I am pretty much alone all day on my Sabbath. If people ask me to shortly hang out on Saturday, I definitely will, but I don’t go out of my way to see people on Saturdays. I make sure that the great majority of my day is spent with the Lord, and not others. Being alone for me looks like: Taking an extra long shower, watching some YouTube videos, doing my nails, cleaning my apartments, and more.
Refuse to do any work or school work
This is the hardest part of taking a Sabbath, and it takes a lot of obedience. God calls you to trust that you will succeed at the work you do if you take a day of rest. Doesn’t an entire day of rest and relaxation where you don’t think about your work or studies sound amazing? It’s incredibly refreshing and it gives your brain the break it deserves.
Don’t forget that God, the creator of the universe, took a day to rest. Don’t feel lazy, or guilty, or even anxious about taking a day of rest. I challenge you to try to take a Sabbath this week. Remember, “Remember the Sabbath day and treat it as holy.“