Are we getting Sundays wrong?
“Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God.” — Exodus 20:8-10a
“Do something today that your future self will thank you for.” ― Sean Patrick Flanery
What’s your perfect Sunday?
Maybe it involves meal prep, chill time at home or a good meal with friends after church.
Just humour me and take a second to plan it out in your head.
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Growing up, I was so jealous of my friends who didn’t have to go to church. They had an extra day each week to rest, see friends, or play sports!
But I had to get up early for church and stay for ages afterwards while my parents chatted.
Now that I know Jesus for myself, I don’t have the same outlook. But it’s still easy for us to get church and Sundays wrong when we’re surrounded by a world that doesn’t love God.
So, whatever our dream Sunday looks like, it’s worth taking a step back and considering what God’s plan for the Sabbath is, and how we can delight in it.
A pattern woven into creation
God has set a pattern of work and rest for us in creation. He made the universe in six days and rested on the seventh (Genesis 2:2). This is the pattern of rest He designed us for when He made us in His image (Genesis 1:27).
God has no limits. He doesn’t grow tired or weary, yet He still chose to rest on the seventh day and enjoy all that He had made. If our unlimited God rested, then how much more so do we, as limited humans, need to rest.
In fact, God has given us the Sabbath as a gift: to rest in Him, for our enjoyment and our good (Exodus 20:8–11). God set the Sabbath day apart as holy, and we should too!
Throughout history, Jews have observed the sabbath from sunset on Friday through to sunset on Saturday. But the New Testament doesn’t prescribe a particular day of rest.
Depending on our own contexts and schedules, we might choose to Sabbath on a different day of the week. What’s important is that God has set a pattern of six days work and one day of rest for our good.
It’s not meant to be a burden. We don’t need to be legalistic or extreme in our approach to Sundays, but we can view them as a special gift God has set apart for us.
Jesus Himself challenged the Pharisees’ false teaching about the Sabbath (Mark 2:27–28). They placed weighty restrictions on God’s people, but He shows that the Sabbath was made for us—it’s a blessing!
So, it’s good to see the Sabbath as special—even as the pinnacle of the week. It’s a day for deep rest in God.
And while decompressing from the week just gone or prepping for the week ahead are good things, one of the best ways to enjoy the Sabbath is by spending time with God and His people.
That’s why church is such a huge part of God’s plan for our rest. As we join with His people in worshipping Him, we find rest and joy in His presence together.
If you’ve grown up in church, like me, then it’s easy to take it for granted.
But this Sunday, as you head out the door to church, ask God to help you delight in the wonder and joy of meeting with Him and His people. Stay for a while afterwards and be refreshed by your church family, as you encourage and build each other up.
It’s also great to spend time on our own with God.
One of my friends has an extended quiet time on a Sunday afternoon, sitting down with her Bible, prayer journal and a Christian book and that nourishes her heart for the week ahead.
These aren’t prescriptions for how you should spend your Sunday, but it’s helpful to remember that this is the type of refreshment we are designed for. When we rest God’s way, our souls find nourishment and peace.
God has also called us to rest from our labour. He has designed us for rest, so when He tells us how to enjoy it, He’s right!
Some ways to spend your Sabbath
If you’re able, take a full Sabbath rest from work each week. Don’t just switch off your laptop, but ask God to help you switch off your work-brain and cast your worries on Him.
Try and cut down the chores you do. Don’t let Sunday be just another day to get things done—set it apart. Maybe it’s helpful to spend time on Saturday ticking off tasks, so that on Sunday you can enjoy meeting with God and His people and doing those things that bring you life.
This isn’t supposed to be a burden, but a joy! We are limited, and so we need regular rhythms of rest. We can lay down our tools, to-do lists and worries, because while we are resting, God is still at work.
Sabbath rest is a weekly pattern of dependence on God, our Provider who never slumbers or sleeps.
And it points us forward to our ultimate, eternal Sabbath rest:
‘So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God.’ — Hebrews 4:9
Each Sabbath is a reminder of the glorious rest that is the certain hope of all believers. On that day when we go to be with Him, or when He finally returns to be with us, we will rest in Him for eternity.
We don’t know all the details of what this will be like, but we do know that we will join all God’s people in worshipping Him—and we get a foretaste of this each week in our churches!
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The quote at the start of this journal is often quoted as a reason to get ahead on all your chores for the week. And this is a great way to steward what God has given us.
But when we search God’s Word, it’s clear that the best thing we can do for our souls and our bodies is to rest in God, gazing on Him alongside His people and enjoying the good gifts He has given us. And your future self will thank you for that, now and for eternity.
So, one more time: what’s your perfect Sunday?
Let it be one spent in Sabbath rest with Jesus.
Love,
Ruth