What NOT to Do for Sabbath | Sabbath Series Part 2

July 1, 2021

One things you should definitely NOT do when you’re trying to Sabbath is feel guilt or shame for “doing it wrong.” If you are like me, and are slowly growing in this as a new practice, then give yourself grace!

In this post, I’m going to share with you three things to NOT do on a Sabbath. You can think of these as your “NOT TODAY” list when you’re trying to Sabbath, either by yourself or as a family.

Don’t include Work, Worry, or Wallet.

When you’re engaging in a Sabbath day, it’s best to NOT include Work, Worry, or your Wallet. I’ll explain.

1. Work

First, Work. Sabbath is a day of rest that is meant to be “holy,” that means “set apart.” It’s supposed to be different from the rest of your life. And when God was teaching his people what it meant to be children of God and no longer slaves, this day of rest was a part of that. (See Exodus 20:8-11 and Deuteronomy 5:12-15)

We don’t work on the Sabbath because it’s a day to practice trusting God to provide for us. When my family has a Sabbath day, we try to not even talk about the stress at work, because we don’t even want to be thinking of work! (But, of course, we fall back into this again and again. Thank God for grace!)

Or maybe how many of you couples have been on a date and struggle to not bring up work, worry, the kids, or finances? Sometimes there is a need to be intentional about that protected space.

That also means that we don’t do any activities that feel like work. For me, that means I don’t work in the yard, I don’t check email, and I don’t tidy the garage. It’s not that those things are bad, but they are all things where I feel like I’m providing for myself, or accomplishing something, or earning my worth. There are six other days for those sorts of things, but on the Sabbath, we rest from work.

2. Worry

Second, we rest from Worry. Worry has an uncanny way of stealing joy from a day, and the Sabbath is meant to be joyful!

For my family, this means we try not to check social media, because it often leads to comparison and anxiety and feeling worried about missing out. We also try not to watch the news on Sabbath days, for the same reasons.

3. Wallet

Third, we rest from our Wallets. This means that we try not to be involved in any habits of purchasing or shopping or even wishing for things we don’t have. The Sabbath is about enjoying the gifts that we already have, so my family tries to stay off Pinterest and Amazon on Sabbath days, because we don’t want to get caught in the endless scrolling and wishing for things that other people have. We don’t go the mall for the same reason, because we want to be intentional about enjoying what we DO have.

The Sabbath is about enjoying the gifts that we already have.

So there you have it, three things to NOT include on your Sabbath day are Work, Worry, and your Wallet.

Now I want to hear from you: What is ONE thing that you can exclude in order to better experience a Sabbath? Remember, your Sabbath doesn’t have to be a whole day. It could be a morning or an afternoon. But what is something you could NOT do in order to better enjoy the time with your family and God?

This is part 2 of a series. Follow the links below for the other parts:

  1. What is Sabbath and Why Should Everyone Do It?
  2. What NOT to Do for Sabbath
  3. What to INCLUDE for True Sabbath
  4. Stumble Forward Into Sabbath

Drew S Williams

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