Sabbath

Mar 7 2025 - Eric Buresh

A question that has come up recently as we focus as a church on Lent is “Do you practice a regular Sabbath?” Yes, I do practice Sabbath, but, no, I do not follow a fixed Sabbath schedule. I practice Sabbath when the Holy Spirit lays on my heart to do so, trusting Him to manage the schedule. For those that read this blog regularly, you have probably picked up that my heart tends toward religion, i.e., a set of rules I can perform against to secure spiritual benefits. Deep down, there is still a part of me that likes to create “laws” that appear to allow me to be in my control. And a regularly scheduled Sabbath, for me, can become something that I wrongfully put my trust in rather than putting it wholly in the Lord of the Sabbath.  

It is equally true, however, that the Holy Spirit guides many people to a scheduled approach to Sabbath. They trust the Spirit to guide them into schedules that are good for them and yet don’t end up placing trust in the schedule itself. The key question, as in pretty much every area, is where our faith/trust resides. Trust the Spirit to lead you into a Sabbath rest, whether that involves a regularly scheduled Sabbath or a sometimes more/sometimes less approach. Either way, be full of grace. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking your way is “right” and judging other people’s as “wrong” (that is the essence of legalism). 

Paul writes in Colossians 2:16-17, “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.” Here we see that the Sabbath is a shadow, a mere foreshadowing of a greater reality. When we are in Christ, we do not need to cling in our own strength to the shadow. We have the substance. Furthermore, in Romans 14:5, Paul tells us, “One man esteems one day above another: another esteems every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.” There is liberty in Christ! If a person wishes to Sabbath regularly, let them do so. If another doesn’t, let them also walk in that liberty.  

Please do not miss the heart of the matter. In Christ, we find a continual, eternal rest, regardless of how we practice Sabbath (or not). True rest is not found in ceasing from labor for some proscribed time, but in resting in Christ perpetually even during our labor. If you desire true rest, study Hebrews 4. True rest is found, not in the cessation of labor, but in the cessation of self-striving. True rest comes moment-by-moment by placing your trust in Christ’s strength and care and provision. It is not a day of inactivity that gives true rest, but a day spent centering your heart and mind on Christ and His Spirit certainly will. 

Are you weary? Are you spiritually exhausted? Do you feel burdened by life? The answer is not found in a day off. It is found in casting your burdens on Jesus. As the Savior Himself invites us, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). This rest is not bound to a calendar; it is always available, in all circumstances, for us who trust in Him. When we abide in Christ, every day is a Sabbath. When we walk by faith, every moment is rest. A person who trusts in the Lord is at peace whether they labor or lie down, whether they toil or tarry. The soul that trusts Christ knows the truest and sweetest Sabbath.