7 Guidelines To Help You Practice Sabbath As A Christian Family
Ok, so today I’m sharing about the Sabbath!! A Sabbath day is crucial to a slower pace of life as a Jesus follower.
Translated literally from Hebrew to sabbath (or shabbāth) means to rest. It’s a time to rest from work and daily routines, and to focus on God and family community.
Whilst not all Christians observe the Sabbath, I believe it’s part of God’s creation design and an eternal principle for the church.
So today I’d like to share some guidelines on how you can implement the Sabbath as a family.
7 Guidelines To Help You Practice Sabbath As A Christian Family
1. Schedule a specific Sabbath day
As Christians, we’re no longer under law, yet it’s important that we set a Sabbath rhythm in our lives, as rest is part of our creation design.
While a lot of Christians do this on Sundays, that might not actually be the best time for you and your family. Look at your schedule and see what works best for you!
In our family, what works best is on a Saturday, since Sunday is a day where we’re busy with our local church.
2. Plan
When God gave the ten commandments, He showed the Israelites the importance of the Sabbath as a day He made holy and set apart (Exodus 20:8). It was a day the jews had to prepare for in advance.
Sabbath doesn’t just happen. We need to prepare for it so that on the actual day we can say no to work and yes to rest.
Some ways of doing this are: planning and cooking meals ahead of time, finishing all work tasks before Sabbath, and sending out any messages or emails beforehand.
For us, the Sabbath is a day where we do minimal housework (just the dishes and any quick food prep). We don’t do any income-producing work, we don’t catch up on errands, and we go off our phones. Which leads me to..
3. Disconnect from technology
Sabbath is for stopping, resting, delighting, and worshipping. To enable us to focus on these, it’s often a good idea to disconnect from email, social media and even messaging apps.
While these communication channels can have a place in our lives, they can also stop us from resting and truly delighting in God. Sabbath is the ideal time to abstain from constant information, communication, and entertainment and instead focus on God’s gift of the present.
4. Bless the children
Sabbath is a great day to have a family gathering to worship God and to pray for each other.
In our family, we like to use the Sabbath to bless the children in prayer. We also enjoy reading from Scripture and discussing it together.
5. Focus on gratitude
When we take time to rest, it’s important that we not only stop our work but also our natural tendency to consume. Instead, we focus on being grateful for what we have.
Sabbath is a day to focus on worshipping God and delighting in His gifts to us. It’s a wonderful time to focus on being content.
6. Engage in restful activities
As Christians under grace, we don’t have to worry about observing the Sabbath in exactly the same way. Yet, the whole purpose behind the Sabbath isn’t just to stop our work, but also to enjoy restful activities.
As a family, we spend time together walking in nature, eating, watching a good film, and playing games. Think of ways you can enjoy restful activities with your family.
7. Enjoy nature
One of my favourite ways to observe the Sabbath is by going out and enjoying nature. While there are studies that evidence why we relax when we’re surrounded by nature, as Christians, we also know that it’s about worshipping the God who created all things.
Often, I experience God more when I observe His creation. It’s wonderful to contemplate the handiwork of His hand and realise that He sustains all things, not me.
Conclusion
There are several guidelines that can help you and your family practice the Sabbath rest as Christians. Go over each one prayerfully and discuss your Sabbath guidelines as a family.
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