The Rhythm of Rest: Rediscovering the Gift of Sabbath

Our mastiff, Jax, tips the scales at 150 pounds. With paws that big, his nails are no joke. We use a dremel to keep them trimmed, but without fail, the battery starts to fade before I’m done. Aj will suggest, “Just put it on the charger for a little while,” but I always just want it to push through and finish the job. The truth is, no matter how badly I want it to keep going, it won’t. And simply turning it off for a little bit won’t restore its strength. It only comes back to life when I plug it in and it reconnects to its power source. And that’s us, too.

When was the last time you truly rested—not just physically, but soul-deep?

In a world that glorifies hustle and productivity, rest often feels like weakness. We fill our calendars until they’re bursting at the seams, measure our worth by our output, and collapse at the end of the week wondering why we still feel empty. From the very beginning, God had something different in mind. He specifically designed a rhythm of rest for His people. Not as an optional luxury, but as a necessary and holy gift.

Genesis 2:2-3—By the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on the seventh day He rested from all His work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it He rested from all the work of creating that He had done.

After six days of creating, God rested. He wasn’t tired. He wasn’t drained. He was creating a pattern—a rhythm for His creation. The Maker of the universe took a holy pause, not because He needed it, but because we would. His Sabbath was a model of wholeness, delight, and communion. Later, in Exodus 20, God commanded His people: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8). I find it interesting that of all the Ten Commandments, this one has the longest explanation. Not only does God know how much we need it, but He knows how much we fight it. I know what you might be thinking, “But Kasia, you just don’t understand how much I have going on! I have to work, and I have to go to the gym, and I have to do all my meal-prepping, and I have to make sure my 2.5 kids are kept busy, and I have to…” Our culture has made busyness into an idol, and productivity into an identity. I get it! I really do! But, my friend, if creation didn’t crash and burn when God rested, it certainly won’t crash and burn when you do. God commanded us to rest not as a restriction, but for restoration. The Sabbath was—and still is—an invitation to stop striving and remember who He is: our Creator, our Redeemer, and our Sustainer. The Sabbath was intended to be about who we draw near to and reconnecting with the heart of God.

I think sometimes we confuse Sabbath with laziness. We see rest as binge-watching Netflix until our brains go numb or scrolling endlessly through our phones, spending hours on Instagram and TikTok. While leisure can refresh us, those things don’t actually restore our souls. Sabbath isn’t rotting on the couch (as much as I love it). It isn’t endless distraction. True Sabbath rest is intentional. It’s not about numbing ourselves, but about re-centering ourselves in God’s presence. You know what else Sabbath isn’t? A rigid list of rules to check off.

In the Old Testament, the Sabbath was a sacred marker of the Israelites’ identities. It was a day set apart from work, gathering manna, and all ordinary labor (Exodus 16:22-30). Over time, the Pharisees layered on tradition after tradition—how far you could walk, what actually constituted work, and more. They counted steps, monitored actions, and judged harshly. By the time Jesus became man, so many extra rules had been added that the Sabbath felt more like a burden than a blessing. God had intended to give His people freedom in their rest, but the Pharisees turned it into a fence of rules that missed His heart completely.

I find the truth of the Sabbath in Mark’s gospel:

Mark 2:23-28—One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grain fields, and as His disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. The Pharisees said to Him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.” Then He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”

The disciples had plucked grain on the Sabbath, and the Pharisees accused them of breaking the law. The rule-obsessed Pharisees were so focused on the exactness of the Law that they totally forgot the purpose of it. Jesus reminded them of this core truth: God gave Sabbath to serve humanity, for refreshment, reconnection, and renewal. It was designed for human flourishing, not religious control. The Sabbath isn’t supposed to be about rules—it’s about relationship. Jesus Himself healed on the Sabbath (Luke 13:10-17; John 5:1-18; Mark 3:1-5), proving that compassion outweighs legalism and ritual. He reframed the Sabbath as a gift from God, not a heavy yoke.

So what does this look like in our busy, screen-obsessed world? Sabbath may not mean a rigid Saturday or Sunday, but it does mean intentional rest with God. Highlight these two key words: intentional and God.

Put away your work: No emails, no projects, no “just one more load of laundry.” It’ll still be there later.

Create a space for worship: Read Scripture, write in your prayer journal, listen to worship music, or simply sit in silence with God.

Enjoy His gifts: Share an unrushed meal with family, go for a walk in creation, or delight in something that draws your heart to gratitude.

Unplug: STEP AWAY FROM SOCIAL MEDIA. I don’t care how many “Christian Inspiration” or motivational Instagram accounts you follow. Social media is a breeding ground for pride, jealousy, and mental numbness. Let your soul breathe!

Remember: The Sabbath isn’t legalism. It’s choosing restorative activities over draining ones. It’s making space for joy, gratitude, and delighting in God’s gifts. It’s liberation.

Let’s do a SABBATH CHALLENGE together:

This week, choose one day—or even just one block of hours (at minimum, you can spare 30 minutes)—and make it holy. Turn off your phone. Refuse to check your email or do chores. Treat that chunk of time as sacred: pray, worship, reflect, and rest. At the end of the day, ask yourself:

Do I feel lighter?

Did I hear God more clearly?

Did peace return to places that previously felt anxious?

This challenge isn’t about what you lose, but what you gain when you draw close to Him (you can read even more on this in Serving and Sitting).

Listen, friend—I get it. I know the guilt of feeling like you’re not doing enough throughout the day. I know the fear of falling behind. I know the desire to fill every waking moment with productivity, even giving up sleep to create more waking moments. We live in a world that glorifies busyness and striving for more. But God designed us to live in His rhythm of rest. Just like the dremel I use on my dog’s nails, we can only hold so much charge for so long. And whether we’d like to admit it or not, our work flows better after we take a beat to rest rather than trying to run on fumes.

Maybe you’re thinking right now, “Kasia, I’ve done the self-care thing and it just doesn’t work for me. It makes me feel worse.” Can I lovingly suggest that maybe it didn’t work because the world’s version of “self-care” isn’t the same as God’s holy invitation of restoration? Maybe what the world calls “self-care” is the equivalent of plugging an extension cord into itself. We need more of Him, not more of ourselves (John 3:30). This is your invitation to see Sabbath for what it truly is—God’s way of saying, “Come and rest in Me.”

Father, thank You for designing rest for my good. Forgive me for the times I’ve ignored Your rhythm and chased after busyness. Help me to believe Your truths and live it out. Teach me to lay down my striving and enter into Your peace. Show me how to turn from distraction and instead delight in You. Help me to see the Sabbath not as a burden, but as a blessing. Give me courage to set boundaries, to unplug, and to truly rest. May my soul find renewal in You, today and always. Amen.