Keeping the Sabbath

I recently came back from my 43rd anniversary trip. Dawna and I, along with three other friends, spent two weeks in French Polynesia. It was pretty nice.

My goal was to make this trip a holy time waiting on the Lord, resting in complete peace. Overall, I think I succeeded.

What did I do?

During my first week, I read Scriptures every morning. I snorkeled and read books (Treasure Island and Swiss Family Robinson). Dawna and I slept under a thin drapery of insect netting. It never fell below seventy five degrees each night.

Most sunrises and sunsets found us planted on our private dock. Above us, colorful birds swooped. Exotic fish danced in turquoise water. One octopus patrolled our dock, and a colorful eel risked one of my glances. 

By the second week, my Bible-reading routine had failed. 😝 Instead, I planted myself on the beach and studied busy coral. Ships came and went. Once, a magnificent humpback whale breached and left me spellbound.

I learned to shuck, crack, and eat fresh coconut. One night, we caught fish right from our dock. In entirety, I rested well and enjoyed rambling discussions with friends. But until this writing, I couldn’t discern what God was teaching me.

What Did I Learn?

I discovered that there’s a fine line between Sabbath rest and worldly appetite (see Mark 2:27, Philippians 3:19). Holidays are holy, not meant for selfish gratification.

This doesn’t mean we can’t have fun. It signifies our focus must be on God, even when we’re in leisure. Consider this verse and its implications:

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself. — Philippians 3:20

Another discovery I made was about my needs and wants. Typically, I categorize needs as good and wants as greedy. I define them as follows:

  • Needs (food, shelter, clothing)

  • Wants (wishes, wills, and desires)

Jesus desires us to abide in Him so that our needs and wants compact into a singular pile. As we partner with Him, these cravings become desires and find their answers in prayer. Consider the verses:

“Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.” — John 14:13

“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” — John 15:7

“In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.” — John 16:23

What will I do differently?

Moving forward, I feel compelled to pray more and sit quietly with God. I sense my capacity (provision, protection, and identity) growing to involve both needs and wants. As I view these categories as one, I’ll ask God for the desires of my heart to be fulfilled.

Your Homework

Begin introducing Sabbath into your busy schedule. Commit one day each week for quiet repose. On these days, do as little as possible (this includes chores.) Devote time instead to the Lord and family.

The healing that comes from this act is transformational. If you need tips on how to rest, I’ve included this list of 5 Ideas for Sabbath. Use these for your next day off, or create some ideas of your own.

I’ll leave you with these words from a renowned Jewish philosopher. I hope they inspire you to implement more rest into your schedule:

The Sabbath is no time for personal anxiety or care, for any activity that might dampen the spirit of joy. The Sabbath is no time to remember sins, to confess, to repent or even to pray for relief or anything we might need. It is a day for praise, not a day for petitions. What is the Sabbath? Spirit in the form of time.

Want to go deeper into the Sabbath?

Check out Lesson 5 of my training: Prosperous Soul Online: Advanced. Discover how to rest better and reactivate hope.

Don’t miss our live meeting this week

We’re back on schedule for this Wednesday. Access the link here to log in. Bring in any questions. My free handout is available here.

Sabbath Series: Lesson 3

When I first started applying Sabbath, it was very difficult to just sit down and do nothing. On Saturday mornings, I’d wake up, grab a bowl of cereal, and watch […]

 

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Toil

Today, let’s talk about toil. It’s an intense feeling that I hope none of you ever experience.

Toil is a severe state of exhaustion and hopelessness—one of Satan’s strategies to keep you from excelling in your calling.

Toil isn’t just about working hard or meeting tight deadlines. Scripture defines it as sorrow, a sadness that drains away hope (Proverbs 10:22).

Someone who suffers from toil experiences emptiness so profound that they’re unable to listen to others’ testimonies about God. It’s a sense of emptiness that steals joy.

In last week’s lesson, I mentioned how I used to struggle with toil. Back when I was the CFO of Bethel Church and ran my own business, I was weighed down by twelve to sixteen hour work days.

I had everything on paper—money, success, family. But inside, I was dead. Revival was breaking out, but I was too exhausted to even notice.

The Cure for Toil

I realized that I had a problem when my wife, Dawna, said something hurtful to me and I didn’t react. It was like my feeler was turned off. Frightened, I scheduled a meeting with Danny Silk and confessed, “Something’s wrong. I can’t feel anything.”

In his typical, casual manner, Danny said, “Ah, you’ll be fine. Just take the day off. You need a break.”

Take the day off? I wondered. How will that help?

I ended up finding my answer a few weeks later. I asked God, “How do I get out of this situation?” Do you what He said? “Keep My Sabbath.”

Sabbath? At first, I didn’t get it. The Sabbath felt outdated, Old Testament. All I knew was that Sabbath meant taking time off work. I knew the following verse, but that was it:

But the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant or your ox or your donkey or any of your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you, so that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. — Deuteronomy 5:14 (NASB)

Great. On the seventh day (Saturday in my case), I’d rest. Easy, right?

Not really. I was so used to grinding that rest felt uncomfortable. It appeared to make my productivity drop. It seemed lazy.

Nevertheless, I tried it. On Saturday mornings, I’d wake. Watch cartoons with my boys. Get in the car. Drive to Whiskeytown lake. I made an effort to not work at all. This even came down to household chores. If Dawna asked me to take out the trash, I’d say, “Sorry, honey, it’s my Sabbath.” Eventually, she joined me in my rest days too.

Months went by, and I noticed something amazing. My emotions came back. I was no longer depressed. I returned to work feeling energized and ready to serve. Plus, my side business exploded. Somehow, after adding rest to my schedule, I got more done in less time.

The Sabbath ended up being a strategy that gave me a second chance. It saved my marriage and taught me: Sometimes it requires more faith to do nothing than to do something.

Your Homework

Find out more about toil in my handout here. To go even deeper into Sabbath, check out my training: Prosperous Soul Online: Advanced.

Want to go deeper into the Sabbath?

No Live Meeting This Afternoon

Dawna and I are flying back from our anniversary trip, so there’s no meeting today. Instead, download my handouts here and get started on your path to “resting better.”

Sabbath Series: Lesson 2

Imagine you’re standing on a street. Above you is the ladder of success—everything you’ve ever dreamed of. Jesus has already pointed the way. You just have to climb. But here’s […]

 

This content is for our paid members. You can see our membership options here.

5 Ideas For Sabbath

Ah, the Sabbath. It’s one of my favorite topics. Back in my thirties, I worked 12 to 16-hour days, serving as the CFO of Bethel Church and running my own accounting firm.

On paper, I had it all—successful career, a wife, two kids, and a busy life. But I was exhausted, laboring seven days a week. I had lots of cash, but zero balance in my emotional life. I needed help.

Why We Need the Sabbath

God didn’t give us the Sabbath as a suggestion. It’s a command. Even truly successful people know that you can’t just grind non-stop. You need to reset, gain perspective, and avoid burnout. Scripture says:

You shall work six days, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during plowing time and harvest you shall rest. — Exodus 34:21 (NASB)

I understand this verse comes from the Old Testament. Some Christians regard this portion of Scripture with ambivalence. But studying all of the Bible deepens our knowledge of how God thinks.

The Old Testament teaches us these truths about Sabbath:

  • God created a tempo (in terms of days and years) for rest and called it holy.

  • Rest reaches everywhere in a person’s life, even to animals, employees, and organizations.

  • Rest is important, no matter how busy you feel.

  • Sometimes it requires more faith to do nothing than to do something.

Your Homework

Give yourself at least twenty four hours of rest this week. During your waking hours on this day, only do things that feel peaceful. Of course, if you have responsibilities, take care of them. But do so from a place of rest.

To help you succeed in this assignment, I’ve included a list of 5 Ideas for Sabbath. Use these for your next day off, or create some ideas of your own:

I understand that single parents can’t afford to take time off. If that’s you, try to find at least two hours of leisure. The key is to value yourself enough to give your body and soul a break.

Want to go deeper into the Sabbath?

No Live Meeting This Afternoon

Dawna and I are celebrating our 43rd anniversary, so there’s no meeting today. Instead, download my Sabbath handout and get started on your path to divine rest.