As I write this, I’m sitting at the beach after a long Saturday morning walk and 2 cups of coffee. This is my sabbath…and I thought I’d let you in on a little delight of mine. “Sabbath” is a day of rest, a day of delight in the Lord.
Some people may say it’s old fashioned, but it’s by far my favourite day of the week. Every Saturday I take the day to spend intentional time with Jesus and to do the things I love, that make my heart & soul happy.
It was modelled by my King when He created the world;
“For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth and the sea and all that is in them, but on the seventh day He rested. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.”
Exodus 20:11
so what do i do?
So what do I do on my sabbath? Well, it depends on the day and how I’m feeling, but I usually won’t set an alarm, and I’ll just let my body wake up when it wants. I’ll take it a little slow, make a coffee and take it down to the beach. I’ll go for a long walk along the beach and spend some quality time with the Lord. I just love his presence so much, and I take such delight in spending time with Him.
Then? I might write some music, play the guitar, paint a little, make more coffee, or spend some time with people who energise me. Sometimes I spend the day exploring the beaches and put on my favourite music (currently Maverick City Music, UPPERROOM and Ziggy Alberts). If I feel so inspired I might write, and when the weather is warm I’ll be in the surf for sure.
Honestly, not sure that I could recommend the sabbath enough! It will truly change your life. It’s so important to take time to rest and reset; especially in the business and hustle culture of the world we live in.
So if you want to start taking a sabbath but aren’t sure where to start, here are my top tips!
top tips for sabbath
- Decide on a day that you have free (or at least half a day), and dedicate it to be your sabbath. Make sure you stick to it! Even if you have assignments or other work to do, I can assure that if you’ll take the day to rest and let Jesus refresh your soul, you’ll be far more productive on your other days!
- Make a list of all that you love. What do you love to do? Where do you love to go? What do you love to eat? Who do you love to be with? What brings you energy & joy?
- Take the Sabbath to do those things and be refreshed for the week ahead. I promise it’s worth it!
And finally, something I learnt from some wise friends of mine:
- Do 1 small thing EVERY DAY that refreshes your soul.
- Do 1 bigger thing EVERY WEEK that refreshes your soul.
- Do 1 even bigger thing every month that refreshes your soul.
- Do 1 big thing every year that refreshes your soul.
And remember, your Sabbath is YOUR Sabbath. It will look different to mine, and that’s okay! Take the pressure off and enjoy it!
