Overcoming Restlessness

If you haven't seen the video or listened to the podcast on 'Spiritual Practices: Cultivating Rest', I encourage you to do that first before continuing with the rest of this material.

You can find the video HERE or listen to the podcast HERE (Episode 5).

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(Much of the material in this blog is taken from John Mark Comer's 'The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry'.)

'You have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you' - Bishop of Hippo

So many of us spend much of our lives feeling restless rather than rested. Restlessness is so familiar – it's our natural default. I think that’s why Sabbath is known as a spiritual discipline. It doesn’t come naturally to us, and yet it’s vital if we want to increasingly learn how to rest in God and live from a place of peace.

What does Sabbath mean, why is it so important, and what could it look like in practice? Let’s dig deeper into this life-giving discipline and build on the encouragement Johnny gave us last week to cultivate it as a weekly rhythm.

What is Sabbath?

The word Sabbath comes from the Hebrew word Shabbat and literally means "to stop". It can also be translated "to delight". The Sabbath is simply a day set aside to stop and delight – to stop working, wanting, and worrying, and to delight in the world, in our lives, and ultimately in God Himself.

Even though Sabbath is intentionally practised on one day a week, the effects of this discipline are meant to be felt on the other days too. Sabbath is meant to be a way of being in the world. It’s a spirit of restfulness that comes from abiding in and living from the Father’s loving presence all week. How appealing does that sound?

Let’s pause to take stock of our lives as they are right now. How would you rate your current levels of restfulness versus restlessness? If you have a look at the lists below, which one best describes you?

Restfulness Restlessness

Margin Busyness

Slowness Hurry

Quiet Noise

Deep relationships Isolation

Time alone Crowds

Delight Distraction

Enjoyment Envy

Clarity Confusion

Gratitude Greed

Contentment Discontentment

Trust Worry

Love Anger/Angst

Joy Melancholy/Sadness

Peace Anxiety

Working from love Working for love

Work as contribution Work as accumulation and

accomplishment

How did you get on?

If you're anything like me, you probably identify more with the restlessness list than you'd like to admit. So how do we move ourselves increasingly into the restfulness column? The truth is that practising Sabbath is key.

Why is Sabbath so important?

There are so many reasons but let me give you just a few.

1) God rested

The creation story in Genesis tells us that God worked for six days and then rested on the seventh – even though He didn’t need to! God built a rhythm of work and rest into the very DNA of creation. He modelled the importance of rest for us so we can follow His example.

2) Adam and Eve's first day on the earth was a day of rest

This reality blows me away. The first day of Adam and Eve’s existence was a day of resting and delighting.

The biblical precedent is that we’re meant to work from a place of rest, rather than seeing rest as a break from work. So many of us hold out for the holidays to recover and refresh. We prioritise work – but in the creation story, rest comes first.

Are you starting your week with rest? Is Sabbath the practice that fuels your work?Living this way requires a serious shift in mindset – and intentional practice.I still have so much to learn about working from a place of rest.

3) God commands us to Sabbath

One of the ten commandments is all about Sabbath - and God has a lot to say about its value:

'Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the LORD your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work...For in six days the LORD made the heavens, the earth, the sea and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.' (Exodus 20: 8-11)

Sabbath is the only spiritual discipline that made it into the Ten Commandments.God lovingly commands us to remember to rest. This isn’t something optional – it holds the same weight as not stealing, murdering, or having idols.We must take this instruction seriously.

4) Sabbath is blessed and releases life

In the Genesis story, three things are blessed by God:

The animals - Be fruitful and multiply

Humanity - Be fruitful and multiply

A day - The Sabbath

Just like animals and humans can procreate and produce life, the Sabbath carries that same life-giving power. When we practise Sabbath, we fill our souls back up with life. John Mark Comer writes:

Recently I read a survey done by a doctor who cited the happiest people on earth. Near the top of the list was a group of Christians called seventh-day Adventists, who are religious, literally, about the Sabbath. This doctor noted that they lived ten years longer than the average American. I did the math: if I Sabbath every seven days, it adds up to - wait for it - ten years over a lifetime. Almost exactly. So when I say the Sabbath is life giving, that's not empty rhetoric. If this study is to be believed, every day you Sabbath, you're (statistically and scientifically) likely to get back an elongated life.

Sabbath is blessed – and literally releases life.So how can we practise it, and what might it look like practically?

What could Sabbath look like in practise?

Hebrews 4 includes a passage focused on Sabbath. In verse 11, the writer says:

'Let us...make every effort to enter that rest.'

Can you see the irony?

Establishing a weekly rhythm of Sabbath takes effort. It goes against our natural tendencies – to stop, to rest, to just be, and to delight. We’re hardwired to do, to achieve, to find our identity and value in work. We need the discipline of Sabbath to rebel against that magnetic pull to be constantly productive. Prioritising Sabbath won’t be easy. It’s something we need to practise. But the fruit – rest, life, delight – will be so worth it.

What could your Sabbath look like?

Have a lie in or head out for a run early if that's what you love. Read, listen to your favourite music, eat good food, sit in a hammock and listen to the birds, talk to friends, laugh, play games, nap, go for a walk in the woods - anything that helps you stop and delight: in the world, in our lives in it and ultimately in God Himself. I'll let John Mark have the last words.

If your story is anything like mine, Sabbath will take you a little while to master. After all, Shabbat is a verb. It's something you do. A practice, a skill you hone. It took years of trial and error for me.

Point being: this practice is so foreign and alien to our culture, even our church culture, that it might take you a while to dial it in. That's okay.

Remember, you're not in a hurry.

To begin, just set aside a day. Clear your schedule. TURN OFF YOUR PHONE. Say a prayer to invite the Holy Spirit to pastor you into his presence. And then? Rest and worship. In whatever way is life giving for your soul.

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Wendy Mann Equip | www.wendymannequip.com

Building Family, Prioritising God's Presence, Extending God’s Kingdom