Rhythms of Rest: Finding the Spirit of Sabbath in a Busy World

by Shelly Miller

and more than you expected. Rest isn’t only a choice we make from a menu of options, but rather the focus of our time set apart

Whether a rhythm of silent pauses at your desk, a couple of hours to quiet thoughts midweek, or a whole day to play and ponder on the weekend—when we choose a rhythm of Sabbath, everything changes. You may even like yourself more. But first, you must choose to begin.

If you struggle with guilt about taking time to rest, then perhaps you are trying to implement

a Sabbath routine instead of a rhythm of rest.

Shabbat is a Hebrew word used for Sabbath, which means “to cease.” We must cease in order to rest.

Brené Brown describes it this way: “Fitting in is about assessing a situation and becoming who you need to be in order to be accepted. Belonging, on the other hand, doesn’t require us to change who we are; it requires us to be who we are.”2

Most of us have believed the fallacy the world

advertises: achieve, produce, and earn success in order to gain acceptance, love, and ultimate happiness.

But the more we fill our lives with yeses, even noble and good ones, who we are slowly drifts into obscurity until all that remains is a shadow of our fo...

Sabbath reminds us that we belong because we are already accepted. Rest requires that we be who we are and nothing else.

A life built upon Sabbath is contented because in rhythms of rest we discover our time is full of the holiness of God.

Choosing to leave practical things undone is a brave act of trust and relinquishment. And relinquishment often precedes the miracle. Advent is our example.

Sabbath asks not “What will you give up for him?” but “How will you wait for him to

come?”

Advent prepares us for the birth of Jesus, but also instills mindfulness a...

You know what happened when

A lack of faith in Sabbath reeks of self-sufficiency. And the fear of scarcity robs us of the miracle.

No answering emails, starting new projects, or ordering groceries online; no reorganizing drawers or polishing shoes. What brings you joy and peace and closer to the heart of God? Your answer will help to define what rest looks like for you. Rhythms, unlike routines, bring intention toward our choices and order back from chaos. A life of intention ultimately leads to deep satisfaction.

When it comes to rest, Jesus wants you and me to tell him what we want with specificity.

Truth is not trite; it has texture and tenacity to it.

We embrace intentions for work, academics, relationships, finances, recreation, and faith, but wh...

Are you willing to risk the discomfort of responsibilities piling up in your absence while you connect with your Maker?

When the mind is focused entirely a problem, we lose sight of God’s place within it. We pit ourselves against all the details as if the problem is ours to conquer immediately. Anxious and tense, we can wrongly assume that unless we achieve total victory, we will lose the battle

and defeat will be our legacy.

God is always near, but we often dismiss his powerful presence in the midst of pain and hardship.

An epistle from Jesus isn’t for safekeeping or

only for reading during hardship, loss, doubt, or conviction, but rather an intimate nearness, a whisper tucked away in your heart.

Chronic busyness results in soul amnesia, the thief stealing life-giving moments of neshamah yeteirah, the extra soul that dwells with us on Sabbath.

“Wow, I read your email on Sunday morning and cried,” admits Sandi. “The thought of someone else loving my child by bringing him before the throne of Jesus was overwhelming to me. It also caused me to wonder if that is how God feels as we pray for one of his children. Does he just well

up with love and gratefulness?

Sharing those mental notes with others requires some risk and bravery, but God’s reputation and the outcomes are his business. All he asks is that we trust him and remain faithful.

director at her church, meaning Sunday is a workday for her. Inspired by ideas on preparing for Sabbath from several Sabbath Society letters, she began making soup on Saturday, putting bread in the oven on Sunday, and using the remainder of the day as a time to allow God to pamper her heart.

Our soul remembers what the mind easily forgets.

What we pour into our soul today may seem inconsequential, yet it will provide a stabilizing anchor for the future.

belief follows. It is through the sacrament of presence and life-giving words that a hard heart becomes open and receptive. In

God’s authority is complete, perfect, and unchangeable, which means nothing can be added, taken away, or edited regarding his intention about Sabbath. People often ask me how to Sabbath before understanding why God made the Sabbath in the first place.

How hurt they would be if you chose not to accept because your options elsewhere seemed better suited to your palate.

Jesus extends an invitation to resist working one day a week for deepening relationship and protection from influences that pull us away from him. He gave the Sabbath in great love, knowing the w...

How we Sabbath, though important, becomes a lower priority. What begins as a sacrifice of time becomes a willing surrender the more we choose it. We long for rest, and the Lord of the Sabbath longs for communion with us. God is less interested in how we spend our Sabbath than that he has our undivided attention. More than our effort to separate a specific day of the week for rest, God longs for our presence with him.

clear message of refreshment, rejuvenating her faith:

Sabbath is a lifestyle change not a day of change.

Instead, I become distracted by the half pizza on the cutting board, now cold and rock hard. Dirty dishes fill the sink. I pull the scarf from around my neck, flip high heels from my feet to the corner, and begin unloading the dishwasher. Inside, resentment is building like a locomotive gaining momentum. With each plate and glass stacked in the cabinet, I threaten to blow off steam.

Easily, I can get distracted too... I know this narrative full well

When we choose to rest from work, it is an act of compassion toward ourselves.

Resentment keeps us from resting.

Do you often help others, but rarely, if ever, admit you need help? If your answer is yes, you may be derivi...

In order to feel a genuine sense of belonging, we must first believe ...

We attempt to convince ourselves that our value is wrapped up in the measure of our busyness. “I’ll be worthy when . . . I finish that project . . . clean the ho...

Sabbath reminds us that we are loved deeply and w...

If we believe we are worthy just as we are—in yoga pants, three-day hair, and without makeup in a room that looks li...

Those who Sabbath well usually exhibit se...