Exodus 20:8-10 (CEB)

Remember the Sabbath day and treat it as holy. Six days you may work and do all your tasks, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. Do not do any work on it—not you, your sons or daughters, your male or female servants, your animals, or the immigrant who is living with you.


Reflection

Is anyone else’s “Sabbath” day considered their “chores” day?

Is anyone else’s “Sabbath” day also the day when they cook the most complicated supper of the week?

Is anyone else’s “Sabbath” day impossible to find in all the scribbles on the calendar?

Same. Turns out we literally and legitimately were not created just to work. We were not created just for our occupational work. We were not created just for our personal or house work. Our creation, our purpose is much bigger than that. Yesterday, we looked at the introduction to the concept of Sabbath from God’s example in Genesis. Today, we look at it from the Ten Commandments. It’s important to note here that it’s not just about making sure that you yourself get a break, but Sabbath is also about making sure that others get a break. Carving out time for rest for ourselves is hard enough, now we have to help others find rest? Yes.

The gift of Sabbath is not just for us, it’s not just for God, it’s for others also. It can be an act of thinking beyond the self. How does our overworking affect others? When we rest, is it at the expense of others? We can accept this gift of rest from God and offer it to others.

By Rachel Callender


For Pondering & Prayer

Have you ever thought about Sabbath in terms of others? Not in terms of, “are they practicing Sabbath?” but in terms of “how can I help alleviate their workload?” What could that look like? Meal prepping the day before for a family member? Not eating out or shopping on your Sabbath day? Evaluating whether or not that question or problem you need to ask or bring to someone can wait until tomorrow?

Prayer: God of rest, you have offered us this kind gift of time off not just so that we don’t get overworked, but also so that we don’t overwork others. May we remember that each and every day. Amen.