<<< You’ve probably heard before that it is important to establish a rest day once a week, but why is it so important to keep the Sabbath? This post has a list of reasons you need weekly rest that will be sure to motivate you to finally commit to adding a weekly rest day to your schedule.>>>

I grew up in a loving Christian home and we tried our best to honour God with our thoughts and our actions.

But there was one area that we consistently failed to address that a lot of people struggle with: 

The Sabbath

For one day a week, we are asked to put down our tools and simply rest. It should have been the easiest guideline to maintain, yet so many people through the years have failed to succeed in simply stopping for 24 hours each week. 

In a world where we find our identity in what we do, it can be insanely difficult to resolve to do nothing for an entire day on a regular basis. Words get thrown around that make you feel bad for resting: 

You’re just being lazy. Why can’t you be doing something productive? You’re missing important opportunities. You will never get the job you want if you take a break this often. People need you!

In a world that’s all about the hustle and the go-getters, there is not much respect for the person who rests. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it. 

Today, I want to drown out those critical voices and encourage you to guard that rest day with everything you’ve got in you! I’ve got countless reasons you need weekly rest to share with you, both Biblical and practical. So if you need a little push to keep the Sabbath in your own life, let this be your motivation. 

Related Post: 10 Simple Ways to Rest and Recover this Christmas

Biblical reasons you need weekly rest 

It is one of the ten commandments, not just a suggestion.

When when we imagine Sabbath rest, it is easy to view it as an optional activity. But when you look in the Bible, it is introduced as a law. It’s actually presented alongside laws like “you shall not murder” and “you shall not steal”.

It is not a suggestion- it is a law that God asks us to follow. 

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.

Exodus 20:8

Knowing this should make you feel less guilty for taking a day off. It is not something that the Bible says to do when you’ve gotten enough work done. It is something God has requested of you, and you are honouring his wishes when you take that day off.

God rested on the seventh day. We should follow his example. 

When the guy who created the world itself decidedly does nothing on his seventh day, it’s not something we should take lightly.

It makes sense to mimic God as often as possible. He knows a lot of stuff that we don’t, and if he’s doing something we don’t understand, we can pretty much assume it’s the way everyone should be doing it. Since God rested on the seventh day, so should we. 

For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the seas, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

Exodus 20:11

Your time is a gift from God, and if he wants some of it, you should give it to him. 

God will always give us the choice to follow him or ignore him, but in all ways, he has rightful ownership over our possessions- including our time.

Every minute you spend living on earth is a gift from God, and if he is asking for a little of that time to be dedicated to him, then it is right to give it to him.

I like to think of it as another form of tithing. In the same way that you return ten percent of your money to God, it is right to do the same with your time. 

Every good and perfect gift is from above.

James 1:17

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You will get practice trusting God in all things. 

It will sometimes feel backwards to take a day off of work.

At times when you are falling behind and really need some extra time to get things done, it often doesn’t feel good to choose not to work on your designated rest day.

But if you continuously keep the Sabbath, you will be amazed at the difference it doesn’t make in your work. Your life will not fall into shambles if you continue to take a rest day weekly- in fact, it will likely improve over time! This will help to teach you that God knows best. This, in turn, will encourage you to follow his will more often. 

You will consciously put God at the center of your life. 

As long as you continue to work seven days a week, work is your god.

It is what you live for and what you worship.

When you finally interrupt that work with a day designated to rest, you are shifting your focus from work to God. He will quickly become what your life revolves around, and your work won’t have such a stronghold on you. God will become your priority over everything else, and that will be sure to change your life. 

Six days you shall labour and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God.

Exodus 20:9-10

This time of rest is a gift- accept it! 

Imagine if a friend bought you a gift and gave it to you, and instead of opening it, you put it on your front porch and never looked at it again.

That is what you are doing to God when you don’t keep the Sabbath.

He did not give us a rest day because we worked hard enough or because we deserve it. It was a gift! But so many of us won’t accept the gift and insist on going through life the hard way.

Instead of thinking that you have to work to earn a day off, simply recognize the day off for what it is- a gift! 

Related Post: 31 Unique Christian Journal Prompts To Strengthen Your Faith

Practical Reasons you need weekly rest

Your brain will function better in the future

Researchers have found that taking a day off actually improves brain function afterwards. This means that a day of rest can actually make you more productive throughout your week.

It may feel like you are taking a step in the wrong direction when you choose to forego work for a day, but it actually helps you function better, so you’re working smarter, not harder. It will give you a better work-life balance, which will improve every area of your life!

Your overall health will be better

In exercise regimes, it is always recommended to take a day off from workouts. The purpose is to give your body a chance to recover from the strain of the previous week. It helps your body strengthen itself and grow more resilient for future workouts. In the same way, keeping the Sabbath gives your body and brain the chance to recover from the week’s events. This will help to maintain your overall health in the same way that getting sufficient sleep throughout the week can help. 

You won’t burn out as easily

The first tip in this article about how to avoid burnout is to take a vacation that doesn’t involve work at all. In this particular case, they’re talking about a big travel vacation, but it suits rest days, as well. When you take a day each week to fully unplug from work, you are so much more ready and willing to return to work the next day. You will enjoy your work for longer periods of time and be able to stay focused longer throughout the rest of the week. 

You will realize that work isn’t as important as you think

When you start taking a day off each week to rest, at first you will feel nervous that your work will suffer because of it. But you will quickly learn that taking a day away from work affects your work performance very little or not at all. Over time, you will gain confidence in this and have fuller enjoyment of your day off.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are numerous reasons you need weekly rest, both Biblical and practical. Take a month to try out a weekly Sabbath and see what it can do in your life. I feel confident that you will end up making it a permanent part of your routine! 

Have you ever tried to schedule a weekly rest day? What makes it hard for you to honour the Sabbath? Share your opinion in the comments below; I’d love to hear from you!