The Blessing of Sabbath
This year, we're collaborating with writers across the Augustine Collective, a network of student-led Christian journals, to bring you a series of short devotional articles during this season of Lent, the 40-day period prior to Easter. Find this series also published by UChicago's CANA Journal and UC Berkeley's TAUG.
By Sarah adams, ut austin
"So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience." (Hebrews 4:9-11)
Amidst a culture of busyness, there is something so appealing about the Biblical idea of rest. However, the way we tend to correlate our work with our value provides an obstacle to finding this type of rest.
In Hebrews 4, the author describes God’s offer of salvation by comparison to the practice of resting on the Sabbath. He recalls how God offered the rest that comes with salvation to the nation of Israel after they left Egypt, but they largely rejected it out of a lack of faith (vv. 1-3). Despite this, God provided a second chance for all of humanity to accept salvation through His Son Jesus. Because of Jesus’s sacrifice and victory over death, those who have faith can enter into complete rest with God (vv. 9-10).
Moreover, this promise of this “Sabbath rest” is not limited to after our life on earth comes to an end. We can also receive it, in part, in the present. The passage states that “anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works” (v. 10). The passage simultaneously speaks about this rest as a future promise and as something that has already come about. The truth is that, through His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus has already completed the work of our salvation. In fact, His final words before His death were: “It is finished” (John 19:30). We do not have to strive to ensure our salvation—it is already complete.
The time of Lent is an excellent opportunity to incorporate practices of rest, such as Sabbath, as part of our weekly routines. Our culture teaches us that we are only valuable when we are working and accomplishing things. This is why it may seem so difficult to take a break from busyness. In my experience, intentional rest takes discipline because the temptation to get ahead on schoolwork or start planning for the future is ever-present. To stop working feels like a loss of control. Nevertheless, this passage insists that we must “strive to enter that rest” (v. 11). This refers to salvation but also to the learned practice of yielding our daily work to God’s ultimate control. Jesus Himself told us not to worry about the future, and Sabbath is an excellent way to cultivate that posture (Matthew 6:34). God desires for us to discover the peace of this type of rest.
In my life, practicing Sabbath has been a great blessing. By avoiding schoolwork on Sundays and investing my time in restful activities that remind me of God’s nearness, I am filled up spiritually to live the rest of my week in faithful service. I truly believe that, through Sabbath, the Holy Spirit will continue to teach me how to let go of all of the tasks and events that clutter my mind in order to practice this kind of radical faith more and more frequently. Ultimately, God invites us into a Sabbath rest that expands beyond one day a week to all of life.
Lord, we could never thank You enough for the rest you have provided us through the sacrifice of Your Son out of Your great love for us. Teach us in Your Spirit to reject busyness and embrace the reliance of resting in what You have already done.
For additional reading, consider Hebrews 4:1-11.
Sarah Adams is a sophomore at the University of Texas Austin who enjoys learning more about God each day, plus chocolate, crafting, reading, and singing. UT Austin is home to Terrain, an undergraduate Christian academic journal and member journal of the Augustine Collective.