The fourth commandment reads: “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” Jesus tells us in the gospels that God gave it to people as a restorative and recuperative gift. God did not intend for life to be all effort, so he punctuated each week with 24 hours of sabbath rest, during which people could remember what life is about and who it is for.
Activities
Select a day for your Sabbath rest – Begin in prayer – (if you select a Saturday or Sunday, include being at worship) and do one/some of the following:
- Spend time with family including a meal together and some time to relax and enjoy a game, a walk, reading, or a movie together.
- Do not write out a “To Do” list for the day – let God lead you through the day.
- Spend the day away from school work, office work, house work, work work – letting go of things that stress you out for the day. Let the difficult conversations happen another day.
- Relax. Take a nap. Refrain from any situation that moves you into a bad place.
- Have a phone visit with someone you love or invite friends you love for coffee or tea. Write a letter to a friend or to God.
- Consciously let go of your compulsion to be indispensable. Drop all that brings you anxiety into the arms of your heavenly Father. Go to bed earlier than usual and as you lay your head on the pillow, commit your body and dreams to God and rest.