by Rev. John Snow –
The Tyranny of the Urgent is a concept that some of you may be familiar with. Every day we have to choose between things that are important or unimportant and things that are urgent or not urgent. The problem lies with saying no to things that are urgent but are not important.
An example is my cell phone ringing with another call from someone wanting me to renew my auto warranty. The ringing phone is urgent but the call is not important.
Regular and consistent time with God is important, but Christians often fail at this discipline because it lacks urgency. The gift of Sabbath is one of the ways we can overcome the tyranny of the urgent but we must be diligent and deliberate in the practice of this spiritual discipline.
I guess the Lord anticipated our penchant for living distracted and uncentered lives. Typically we think Sabbath is nothing more than time off. Sabbath is about time, but it is also about focus. If our Sabbath rests are nothing more than a time of no work, we miss the most important part of the discipline, and rest is a discipline.
A proper Sabbath requires two things: disengagement and focus. We could also call it focused disengagement.
Jesus commanded us not to live like the rest of the world chasing after worldly things but rather to seek first God’s kingdom. In the Bible Matthew 6 Jesus says: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth … but seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you.”
Sabbath involves turning my back on the world for a time of rest and reflection. For most of us taking an entire day is practically impossible, but Sabbath may be more about intentionality than the actual hours I devote to it. For some Sabbath may come in the form of a daily quiet time. Sometimes Sabbath is half a day or a block of time set apart being with God.
Sabbath, whether a whole day, half a day or several hours, should not look anything like normal. Think about your normal daily activities: work, recreation, television, ministry, yard work, gardening, reading, exercise, shopping, commuting? Whatever your normal day looks like your Sabbath should look completely different. Even those things you find therapeutic should not be part of your Sabbath if they are one of your normal daily activities.
The reason is focus. By eschewing your norm you open yourself up to a new space that is nothing like your ordinary world. Sabbath is intended to take you someplace new and different. We know the saying “you can’t take it with you” applies to heaven, but it also applies to Sabbath. You cannot bring your world into your Sabbath, they are mutually exclusive.
If disengagement is step one, then focus is step two. Sabbath is rest but it is not mindless but rather mindful. The purpose is to reconnect with God and the things of the Spirit. The work of Sabbath is getting my mind and my spirit centered on God. Christian mindfulness is centering myself on the person of God and also his word. To be filled with the Spirit and hear the Spirit’s voice.
Most of us, including myself, are awful when it comes to practicing Sabbath. I can fool myself into thinking that I don’t need Sabbath, but remember the first to take a Sabbath after a busy week was God himself. I am not certain God needed a Sabbath as much as He wanted one to show us how important it is. Perhaps the key is not focusing on my need for Sabbath but my want (desire) for Sabbath. How much do I want to be with God? How much do I long for engagement with the Spirit? Sabbath requires (temporarily) leaving the world behind for focused disengagement. Bringing the world with you into your Sabbath is like taking the kids on a date night. It just doesn’t work! Take a look at the week or month ahead.
Carve out some time when you can purposely disengage for a day or at least several hours. Be deliberate and be mindful. Sabbath is a gift from God and a gift we give ourselves. You will truly get more than you give.
Blessings, pastor John.
(The Rev. John Snow is pastor of Zoar Baptist Church. His email address is pastor.zoar@va.metrocast.net.)
