August 6th, 2024
by Brian Hahn
by Brian Hahn
There are two types of people in this world: those who pack suitcases like an organized game of Tetris, and those who pack their suitcases like a gorilla. And they usually marry each other! I am definitely the former in my suitcase packing endeavors. Most of that is driven by my personality. For example, if it’s a shared space, clutter doesn’t bother me too much, but if it’s “my space,” I want everything organized and neat. My car tends to be spotless most of the time, my sock drawer is organized, my phone’s apps are in categorized folders that are arranged alphabetically, and yes, I do believe there is a correct way to load the dishwasher. So packing a suitcase is like an organized game of Tetris to me.
Some of you can relate. Some of you want to stop reading. But I’m going somewhere, so stick with me! You see, how we pack our suitcases or keep our cars or load the dishwasher makes almost no difference. If it’s not causing you stress, keep doing it the way you’re doing it. And while it’s fine for suitcases to be jam-packed with bunched-up clothes on the brink of busting a zipper, I think we can all agree that our lives should not feel like that.
When I say our lives should not feel that way, I’m specifically referring to our calendars. Our days, our weeks, our years. I think we can all agree that living a life without any margin causes unnecessary stress, which affects our peace, our relationships, our happiness, and our walk with God.
I remember when COVID first started, and so many parts of the world shut down for a time. There was obviously so much bad that came from that, but I remember thinking that one of the positives that happened was it slowed a lot of people down a bit. Calendars were cleared. Activities canceled. And it left me wondering, will this “slowing down” last?
It may have lasted for a season, but it seems like the average family is now busier than ever. And busy is not necessarily a bad thing. Different seasons of life come with different responsibilities and levels of busyness. But let’s be honest… a life with no breathing room is not sustainable and will eventually hurt us in some way.
So what is the solution? I’m glad you asked. I believe the solution is to recognize, observe, and celebrate the Sabbath.
Jesus said in Mark 2:27, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” Jesus said this because most of the Jews and religious leaders had a wrong idea of the Sabbath. They viewed the Sabbath as a rule and a burden. But that was never the intention. The purpose of the Sabbath was always meant to be a gift and a blessing.
Relevant Magazine once published an article about the Sabbath which said this:
"For those of us who believe in the Creator, the Ten Commandments are gifts from the very hand of God. The first three commandments are about our relationship with the Lord. The fourth commandment is a bridge: it connects heaven and earth, God and people. The last six are about our relationship with humanity.
Once a week, God walks out on the Sabbath bridge to meet us. But most of us are no-shows; we unapologetically stand up the Creator of the universe, week after week."
This has always stuck with me. My wife and I have not always been perfect at this. And having young kids definitely complicates “resting.” But we’ve been working hard to be intentional about practicing the Sabbath on a weekly basis. Here are a few things we’ve found helpful:
1. Celebrate it
We begin our Sabbath the night before. That’s the night of the week we choose the “easy” dinner option with little cleanup. We pull out the paper plates. Our meal and drink choices are things we love. In some ways, we treat it like many families treat a holiday (minus the chaos and drunk uncle). We look forward to and celebrate it. We do our best to fill our day with life-giving and joy-filled activities. Sometimes that means heading to the zoo with the kids. Other days, it’s hanging out in the backyard. We often see family on our Sabbath. Though there are Sabbath days we lounge in the house, letting the kids stay in their pajamas most of the day. Regardless of the agenda, we try to stick with things that bring us joy.
2. Give yourself permission to procrastinate
Procrastination is not something you’ll typically hear me recommend (though I’m pretty good at it), however, it can really help you on your Sabbath. Most of the time, if Danielle or I walk through our kitchen and it’s a mess, it can feel overwhelming and there is an urge to address it in the moment. But cleaning the kitchen is one of the things we’ve given ourselves permission to procrastinate on. As all adults know, a clean kitchen only lasts until the next meal anyway, so why not wait until the next day? Unless cleaning is a hobby of yours, try giving yourself permission to not do certain things on your Sabbath. This doesn’t mean avoiding all laborious activities. For example, I LOVE mowing the lawn. Mowing the lawn is peaceful for me. I love throwing my headphones on and listening to an audiobook while making perfectly straight lines in my grass. So procrastinate the burdens and pursue the fun.
3. Spend time with your creator
The late Eugene Peterson famously had two rules for his Sabbath days: Play and Pray. For me, I love making that extra cup of coffee and spending a little extended time in Scripture or prayer that morning, meeting God in the margin of my week. Some of my best “quiet times” with God have taken place on my Sabbath days. And I don’t think that’s a coincidence. Again, if the Sabbath is like a bridge connecting Heaven and Earth, I think it makes sense that we go deeper with God when obeying this command. Similar to how conversations with our spouse can go deeper on a date night than they do while grocery shopping.
When I’m counseling someone who is feeling overwhelmed or stressed in life, one of the first questions I ask is if they practice the Sabbath or not. And if not, it’s almost always my first and only recommendation. We were not designed to go 24/7/365. We were designed to live with margin. To live with breathing room. And I believe the best way to find that is to receive the gift of the Sabbath.
Some of you can relate. Some of you want to stop reading. But I’m going somewhere, so stick with me! You see, how we pack our suitcases or keep our cars or load the dishwasher makes almost no difference. If it’s not causing you stress, keep doing it the way you’re doing it. And while it’s fine for suitcases to be jam-packed with bunched-up clothes on the brink of busting a zipper, I think we can all agree that our lives should not feel like that.
When I say our lives should not feel that way, I’m specifically referring to our calendars. Our days, our weeks, our years. I think we can all agree that living a life without any margin causes unnecessary stress, which affects our peace, our relationships, our happiness, and our walk with God.
I remember when COVID first started, and so many parts of the world shut down for a time. There was obviously so much bad that came from that, but I remember thinking that one of the positives that happened was it slowed a lot of people down a bit. Calendars were cleared. Activities canceled. And it left me wondering, will this “slowing down” last?
It may have lasted for a season, but it seems like the average family is now busier than ever. And busy is not necessarily a bad thing. Different seasons of life come with different responsibilities and levels of busyness. But let’s be honest… a life with no breathing room is not sustainable and will eventually hurt us in some way.
So what is the solution? I’m glad you asked. I believe the solution is to recognize, observe, and celebrate the Sabbath.
Jesus said in Mark 2:27, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” Jesus said this because most of the Jews and religious leaders had a wrong idea of the Sabbath. They viewed the Sabbath as a rule and a burden. But that was never the intention. The purpose of the Sabbath was always meant to be a gift and a blessing.
Relevant Magazine once published an article about the Sabbath which said this:
"For those of us who believe in the Creator, the Ten Commandments are gifts from the very hand of God. The first three commandments are about our relationship with the Lord. The fourth commandment is a bridge: it connects heaven and earth, God and people. The last six are about our relationship with humanity.
Once a week, God walks out on the Sabbath bridge to meet us. But most of us are no-shows; we unapologetically stand up the Creator of the universe, week after week."
This has always stuck with me. My wife and I have not always been perfect at this. And having young kids definitely complicates “resting.” But we’ve been working hard to be intentional about practicing the Sabbath on a weekly basis. Here are a few things we’ve found helpful:
1. Celebrate it
We begin our Sabbath the night before. That’s the night of the week we choose the “easy” dinner option with little cleanup. We pull out the paper plates. Our meal and drink choices are things we love. In some ways, we treat it like many families treat a holiday (minus the chaos and drunk uncle). We look forward to and celebrate it. We do our best to fill our day with life-giving and joy-filled activities. Sometimes that means heading to the zoo with the kids. Other days, it’s hanging out in the backyard. We often see family on our Sabbath. Though there are Sabbath days we lounge in the house, letting the kids stay in their pajamas most of the day. Regardless of the agenda, we try to stick with things that bring us joy.
2. Give yourself permission to procrastinate
Procrastination is not something you’ll typically hear me recommend (though I’m pretty good at it), however, it can really help you on your Sabbath. Most of the time, if Danielle or I walk through our kitchen and it’s a mess, it can feel overwhelming and there is an urge to address it in the moment. But cleaning the kitchen is one of the things we’ve given ourselves permission to procrastinate on. As all adults know, a clean kitchen only lasts until the next meal anyway, so why not wait until the next day? Unless cleaning is a hobby of yours, try giving yourself permission to not do certain things on your Sabbath. This doesn’t mean avoiding all laborious activities. For example, I LOVE mowing the lawn. Mowing the lawn is peaceful for me. I love throwing my headphones on and listening to an audiobook while making perfectly straight lines in my grass. So procrastinate the burdens and pursue the fun.
3. Spend time with your creator
The late Eugene Peterson famously had two rules for his Sabbath days: Play and Pray. For me, I love making that extra cup of coffee and spending a little extended time in Scripture or prayer that morning, meeting God in the margin of my week. Some of my best “quiet times” with God have taken place on my Sabbath days. And I don’t think that’s a coincidence. Again, if the Sabbath is like a bridge connecting Heaven and Earth, I think it makes sense that we go deeper with God when obeying this command. Similar to how conversations with our spouse can go deeper on a date night than they do while grocery shopping.
When I’m counseling someone who is feeling overwhelmed or stressed in life, one of the first questions I ask is if they practice the Sabbath or not. And if not, it’s almost always my first and only recommendation. We were not designed to go 24/7/365. We were designed to live with margin. To live with breathing room. And I believe the best way to find that is to receive the gift of the Sabbath.
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