You need a sabbatical

“As his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day.” Luke 4:16

When someone takes a sabbatical, it’s because they need time to rest and recharge their batteries. God took a sabbatical: “On the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day” (Genesis 2:2). Now, the Bible says that God “neither slumbers nor sleeps” (see Psalm 121:4). So if He took a day off in the week, you need one too! Not long ago, most families went to church on Sunday morning, came home and ate lunch together, and spent the afternoon resting and enjoying one another. Now we huff and puff seven days a week, hurtling down the road toward burnout or even an early demise. Scientists say that our bodies are genetically wired to require one day out of every seven for physical, emotional, and spiritual restoration in order to perform at our highest potential. When Truett Cathy opened his first restaurant in 1946, The Dwarf House, he established the tradition of closing on Sundays. Back then that was an accepted practice, but now it’s extremely unusual, especially for a restaurant chain with hundreds of outlets in malls. But Cathy, a committed Christian, never wavered. And rather than costing him, it paid huge dividends. He built one of the most popular and profitable food chains in the US—Chick-Fil-A. God knows that the fastest way to burn out is to try to burn the candle at both ends. That’s why the Bible says, “The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work” (Exodus 20:10 NKJV). Every week you need a one-day sabbatical, so take it!

The Word for You Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from Celebration Enterprises, Inc. Copyright © 2024