A few months ago, I realized that I was more tired on Sunday
than on other days of the week. Between grocery
shopping, going to the laundromat and then squeezing in time to attend church,
I started the week exhausted. I, then, remembered a Messianic Jewish friend
who looked forward to celebrating Sabbath every week and decided to try it. I could at least do it for a month.
Well, it is now six months later, and I am still learning to
how to observe Sabbath. Learning to let go of all your busyness in
life is a journey, but it is well worth the effort. Not only do you please the Lord by this
observance, but you also find time to renew yourself and start the week
energized. Here are some tips that you
can use to begin this practice:
1) God commanded us to
keep Sabbath holy. It is a day of rest
from what you consider to be work, so you first need to decide what part of
your life is work. I decided to avoid
shopping and laundry on Sundays. My
friend avoids any task that involves the exchange of money. She, also, would make meals ahead of time and
only heat them up on Sabbath in a crock pot.
I have not gotten to the point where I can stop cooking but have learned
to make simple meals. I also soak my
dishes in the sink and do not wash them until the end of Sabbath.
2) Try not to do
everything the day before Sabbath or you will feel exhausted when it arrives. It is best to spread your work out if
possible. I am still running around on
Saturdays but have tried to do grocery shopping on Fridays to free up the
weekend.
3) Do not stress
about whether Sabbath should be on Saturday, Sunday or a different day of the
week if you work on weekends. The point
is that the Lord wants one day set aside to rest and spend time with Him. I celebrate Sabbath on Sunday because this is
when it is celebrated by my Catholic faith.
Also, work on celebrating it at sunset on the prior day as in the Jewish
tradition.
4) Do not worry when
your Sabbath is not perfect. Sometimes,
you have to pick up something at the store or clean up a mess in the
house. Try to keep work to the minimum
and go back to resting as soon as possible.
Jesus also had the same message in the Gospels when he healed on
Sabbath.
5) Make it a priority
to set aside time for worship and prayer on Sabbath for this pleases God. I have discovered that once I cleared my
schedule, it was easier to go to church.
I even started to look forward to it as the high point of the day.
6) Sabbath does not
always mean spending the day in bed. My
friend would visit the sick or others in need of comfort. The key is that you are not spending money or
doing work.
Last year, we celebrated Christmas and New Year’s on Sabbath
day. Normally, I would be stressed and
spend the day in a frenzy preparing meals.
However, since I wanted to observe Sabbath, I prepared some of the meal in
advance and kept the rest simple which made the holidays more enjoyable. My next task will be to unplug from the cell phone and internet and
see if that helps to rest. I spend most
of the week online in my job and at home so that has become work. It will be an interesting challenge to stay
away from technology for a day.
My friend sums it up best saying that observing Sabbath is
like having a holiday every week. Now,
that is worth a little effort during the rest of the week. Shabbat Shalom!
