Sabbath Is God's Answer For Our Shame
Sabbath Is God’s Answer For Our Shame
God gave us a great gift: the Sabbath. God can use Sabbath to speak to our shame.
God’s Gift: The Sabbath
The Bible tells us that God ceased from his work on the seventh day. In doing so, he set an example for us. We too ought to cease from our work each week. God speaks in the Bible and says …
"Cease striving and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10.
Sabbath isn’t the day that you get your “to do” list done. Sabbath is a day you hang out the big read STOP sign for you and your family. It’s a day to sleep in, enjoy a better meal than you allow time for normally, it’s a day to read or play or sit with a beverage and chat with a dear friend or family member. It’s a day to spend more time alone with God than you might spend during your week.
You pick the day that is. If you work three jobs, then pick a few hours that you declare as your Sabbath!
“You aren’t approved by God for what you’ve done through all your striving. You are approved by God for who you are...God’s child. ”
Sabbath and Shame
In my last post I talked about shame and our coping mechanisms. It occurred to me that there is a connection between shame and Sabbath. Hurt/insecure/shamed people are often driven people. They will seek to prove their worth by working harder, trying to make up for past regrets, and show the world that they aren't as hopeless as they feel inside.
The idea of ceasing for Sabbath isn’t possible. They won’t have anything to show for those 24 hours. Unacceptable. And the slower pace will give them too much time to think about their inadequacies. No, Sabbath is a bad idea!
Sabbath Means Turning Down the Noise
In contrast to the driven life, Sabbath might be the very thing that’s needed. Sabbath requires that we turn down the noise.
Maybe you are afraid of that. Maybe you are afraid to stop for fear of what you will hear. You are afraid you will hear a voice of judgment and condemnation… of how you don’t measure up and how you aren’t good enough to take a day to rest.
But if that's what you hear, it's not from God. That voice you hear might be your own voice or the voice of your parents or other people telling you to do more, work harder, make something of yourself. But it's not God.
Sabbath Reminds You That You Are Loved
God wants you to turn down the noise of your life so you can his voice. You are his beloved, regardless of what you produce, not just that day but that year. God is for you. He’s on your side. He wants you to enjoy the life and the world that he created for you. The psalmist says this…
How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.
They cannot be numbered!
I can’t even count them;
they outnumber the grains of sand! Psalm 139:17,18
If you suffer from low self-worth, the Sabbath is a weekly reminder that God loves you so much he’s given you a day to yourself. It’s okay to get off your hamster wheel and breathe deep. You see, you aren't approved by God for what you've done through all your striving. You are approved by God for who you are...God’s child.
Sabbath Overcomes Shame
Use your Sabbath to listen to God and be reminded of his love for you. Beneath all the busyness is a voice calling you to Himself, calling you to wholeness simply by finding your identity and worth in Him. But if you want to hear that voice, it’s important to stop and listen. That's what Sabbath is about.
Your shame can undermine Sabbath. Or Sabbath can overcome your shame. Which will you choose?
Question: Are you able to stop and rest in God's presence or are you driven to prove yourself to God and others?
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This post was revised and updated from a post in 2012