The Principles of Sabbath

Sabbath has been taught to me since young as it is the fourth of the Ten Commandments. But applying it is really difficult. It is not easy to take a break one day in each week. I am now reading the book on Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Peter Scazzero. I encounter again the topic on Sabbath. He gave four principles of Sabbath: Stop, Rest, Delight, and Contemplate.

First, Stop. We need to stop doing our work. Usually there is always another thing to do before we can do. On Sabbath we embrace our limits. We acknowledge that God is God and that the world continues working fine even when we stop. God commands us to relax and to enjoy the fact that we are not in charge of this world, that even when we die, the world will continue nicely without us. Every Sabbath reminds us to be still and know that God is God and there is no need to worry about tomorrow. It reminds us to trust God and surrender all.

Second, Rest. To be tangible, I chose three things to rest from. One is to stop sharing.  No matter how inspiring, postpone the sharing. Read for myself, not for sharing to others or looking good before others. Second is to stop multitasking. Enjoy the gift of life. It is ok to eat without doing something else. Enjoy every chew of it. Third, stop social media except whatsapp. Remember that it is possible to live without social media. At least I have the chance to do that for the 1st 20 years of my life. So no need t check facebook, linkedin, wechat, line, instagram. For whatsapp I can give exception since it is now the main way of communication for people who need to reach me. But try to send fewer messages. Aim to reply and not initiate conversation for now.

Third, Delight. We are called by God to enjoy and delight in creation. I can use Sabbath to learn to delight in people whom God has put around me. I can also use it for healthy play. As for me, the one that I am now practicing is to take afternoon nap on Sunday and to play with my daughter.

Fourth, Contemplate. As mentioned in the book by Peter Scazzero, the focus of Sabbath remains on pondering the love of God. So keep the habit of reading Bible and praying to God on Sunday. We will need to prepare in advance for this. I have seen that it is during weekend that I often skip praying. This is because it requires planning as weekends are mostly occupied by playing with Jaen, going out with Feliz and taking afternoon naps. Also, this means that I need to sleep earlier on Saturday so that I can be more fresh during the sermon on Sunday. Also, learn to give thanks to God as a family, not just as an individual.

Remember to be flexible in adjusting to these four principles. Experiment and make plan. Remember that God actually gives 1 day every week to rest, total of 52 days. It is not easy, but I need it.