I’ve spent lots and lots of nights laying awake, battling unwanted thoughts. I’ve spent days frozen in fear brought on by ideas dancing through my head. Panic attacks, racing heart, sweaty hands, the feeling of being utterly, hopelessly stuck. If any of that sounds familiar to you, I’m glad you’re here. This is for you. It’s time to take your thoughts captive. Let me tell you what has worked for me.
Not all that long ago the thought of sitting in a nursery with a little on the way made my blood run cold.
I remember sitting in a tiny Mexican restaurant several years ago–nearly in tears as I told Derek I thought it was time to start a family. These were not happy tears or tears of expectation. They were tears of fear. But alas, we were getting older and had been married nearly 10 years. This is what came next. Like it or not.
I’d been laying awake at night, distracted during the day. Being a mom terrified me. My mind had accepted lies (some created by me, others fed to me over many years) about motherhood. These lies told me that being a mom meant life was over. If I hadn’t achieved “success” by the time I got pregnant I never would. Being a mom meant I’d amount to nothing and all the good things God had handed me would be wasted. It meant I would be a failure–to myself, God and my spouse. (More on lies here.)
Lies or no lies, we were getting older. This is what needed to be done. By stating I thought we should start a family, I was giving up on a lot of things.
Intentionality in Thought is to Take Your Thoughts Captive
I will spare you many more details. The story ends like this: We didn’t have kids at that time. My mind went from this state of anxiety and unwanted thoughts to a full break (more here). Eventually I found healing. During that process I started to notice lots of unwanted thoughts floating around my mind. About motherhood, and lots of other things. And I decided not to let them run my life any more.
God had given me the word intentionality (read about that here) and I began applying it to my thoughts. I stopped being prey for lies and scary thoughts and started being their predator. I began to take those thoughts captive.
And today, I’m going to share how you can take your thoughts captive too.
Identify Strongholds
Before you being to take your thoughts captive, you must identify strongholds.
What IS a stronghold?
Until I was coming out of a mental health crisis I had never heard the term “stronghold” used as Christian jargon. A friend gave me this book–and it had a huge impact on my healing. I understood what a stronghold was and knew that was exactly what I’d been fighting for the last few months.
Max Lucado has a great post on strongholds here. This is a quote that sums it up:
What is that one weakness, bad habit, rotten attitude? Where does the devil have a stronghold on you? Ahh, there is the word that fits–stronghold–fortress, citadel, thick walls, tall gates. It’s as if the devil has fenced in one negative attribute, one bad habit, one weakness and constructed a rampart around it. “You ain’t touching this flaw,” he defies to heaven and he places himself squarely between God’s help and your: __[insert stronghold here]_______.
Literally, where does Satan have a strong hold on you? For me…it was lots of places.
This is uncomfortable to think about. It requires vulnerability, an admission that you are flawed and have been deceived.
Welcome to the club. Let me, and the whole of Scripture assure you, you are not alone.
Remain Teachable
The sermon at church on Sunday centered on renewing the mind. It so closely mirrored my outline for this post it was eerie. Anyway, our pastor had a great quote that I’ll share here about strongholds:
[Strongholds] keep us from being who God wants us to be and receiving what God wants to give us.
Strongholds are the key to thinking intentionally and taking your thoughts captive. Identify where Satan has a hold on your thoughts–where are they running amok? Then remain teachable to correct those thoughts and overcome.
Fear is a red flag that I am withholding something from God.
Fear is a red flag that I/you/we are withholding something from God. For me, the gripping fear of being a mom meant I was withholding my career, ideal of success, trust in His provision, trust in His ability to use my gifts from God.
If you cannot humble yourself to learn, incorrect, destructive thoughts will continue to control your mind processes. This in turn, will leave you enslaved to your fears and unruly ideas.
Accept That Not All Thoughts Are Wanted or Needed
It’s a myth that we cannot control our thoughts, that everything in our minds is put there by God.
Thoughts are influenced and implanted in our minds from many sources. Key being: worldly influence and lies/fear surrounding our strongholds. (This is why the Audit in Part II is so important to daily, intentional living.)
Once you accept that not all thoughts are needed, you are free to ruthlessly take your thoughts captive and throw the unwanted to the dumpster. Chase them down and eliminate them. You can restrain your thoughts. Your mind can renewed. (Romans 12:2)
Redirect
Okay, you identified where you are vulnerable (strongholds) and accepted that not all thoughts need to take up your valuable headspace. You’ve taken your thoughts captive and know you want to be rid of them.
Now what?
Now is the time for redirection. If the space that those thoughts occupied remains empty, it’s an invitation for them to reenter. (See Col 3:1-5)
Redirection is easier to say than do. Just think of something else. *insert eye roll here** I know firsthand that it’s not as simple as just wishing you could think of something else. I’ve been there.
Those unwanted thoughts that you just can’t shake are fruit from the tree of fear and anxiety. They’re a sign that a lie has taken root in your heart and mind. Identify the root of the lie, yank it out, and replace it with Truth.
This takes work. Auditing (see part II) and eliminating things you have come to like. But the freedom it brings is worth all the eliminating and auditing in the world.
How to Redirect Your Thoughts
When I was most in need of intentionality in my thinking I put a huge limit on what was speaking into my life. I shut down all the voices, except a very few that I knew were speaking truth. Here are helpful techniques to redirect/correct lots of very tricky, unwanted thoughts:
Commitment to be in the Word daily.
Praying daily for the Holy Spirit to open my eyes to strongholds and teach me to overcome them.
Praying daily that my eyes would be open to the lies I’d been deceived by and the Truth God wanted me to understand.
When I didn’t know how to pray, I turned back to this book.
Researching one topic at a time, journaling/listing everything God said about that topic. (For me I looked into every reference to God as a father, parents, parenting, and mothers.)
Pressing pause on all unscriptural voices speaking into me (social media, TV, movies, books, audiobooks, etc.)
Follow Jesus’ example. When He was tempted by lies and unwanted thoughts He turned to God’s Word to shut them down. (Matt 4:1-11). Humbly accept that what you may think is true may be flawed. Be in the Word, redirect your mind to Truth.
Ruthlessly remove anything that negatively affects your mind and ability to absorb God’s Word.
This last point is key. There is no quick fix for taking your thoughts captive, eliminating unwanted thinking and being totally intentional in your mind. It’s going to take time and practice (see Part II).
But you can do it. Really, you can.
Your thoughts should not be master over you. You can one Master and His yoke is kind. His will is not to keep you pinned under the weight of fear inflicted by thoughts He never intended to fill your mind.
Begin to weed out the lies and what you are withholding from God–these are at the root of unwanted thoughts. Address them one at a time. Then, when things have cleared up, continue the practice. You must be diligent not to let them reenter. New strongholds may arise, but you will be equipped with intentionality, to master what is in your mind and redirect it with Truth.
Join me on Instagram and Facebook for more on intentionally living for Christ, knowing His Word and seeing His hand in daily living. If you are liking this series, share it and let me know! I’d love to hear from you.
I’ve seen it work in my own life, in my own walk with anxiety and depression. Today, I’m sharing action steps to start living intentionally everyday.
Between 2014 and 2016 something happened to my brain. The term “break down” has a bad connotation. But things started to fall apart in my brain during the summer of 2014. I continued down a slippery slope until things really came to a head in the winter of 2015. By then, things had really eroded. I refused to accept that the mental state (anguish) I was experiencing was my “new normal.”
In the early months of 2016 I found a counselor who told me it didn’t need to be this way. After spending nearly two years in mental agony and seeking help for about 18 months, he was the first professional who told me healing was possible. He was the first person who believed I could overcome and fully heal.
He was right.
When I Started to Living Intentionally Everyday
When I entered counseling, I was learning many things and trying to put them into practice. In essence, to create “new, normal” thinking patterns–after many years of patterns that had culminated in cyclical anxiety and depression. I won’t go into all the details, but I will tell you that I asked God to give me a word that I could use as a mantra. Something that summed up many of the things I was learning. The word He laid on my heart?
Intentionality.
Intentionality in who I listened to, what I accepted as truth, to root out lies, about how I spent my time and what I said yes to. I needed to cultivate intentionality in the words that I spoke (especially to myself), boundaries I established and what came into my home (and mind.)
Intentionality is a force that started small, and truly transformed the way I thought and the overwhelm in my mind.
Intentionality is a mind game. And it’s a game you can win. It starts by putting purpose and thought into your everyday decisions. That grows into confidence and a routine that will flow out into the rest of your life. Leaving you calmer, knowing that your commitments aren’t controlling you, and with headspace (and time) to take on tasks God designed you for.
Today I’m sharing a few action steps you can take toward living intentionally everyday.
Decide
When I talk to friends about intentionality and anxiety something that comes up over and over is decision making. The thought of making a decision–or a wrong decision–causes sweaty palms and a medusa-like freeze up.
Intentionality is a mind game.At first it feels awkward, because it’s a new way of thinking. You’ve spent years training your mind to freeze up at the thought of making a choice. Living intentionally everyday, starts and ends with making intentional decisions. Start building your confidence today by purposefully making small choices each day.
Rehearse Out Loud
Set yourself up to make some easy decisions. Then practice saying it out loud. Truth is, you make choices all day, everyday. Practicing out loud (in front of your child, spouse, or home alone) will help you see that you aren’t as terrible at making choices as you may think.
When you decide what to do next, what to eat, etc say it. State the decision and a why. The why is important–this is the intentional part. “I’m going to fold laundry now because it’s an activity the kids can help with. I’ll deep clean the bathroom later, while they are napping.”
You might feel silly, but you’ve got to start somewhere.
As you make these small decisions, stick to them. A great place to practice is with a child. State your decision, then follow through. “Two more times down the slide, then we need to go home for dinner.” Say it. Do it.
Audit
Living intentionally everyday means you need to examine what is currently in your life, and make cuts as needed. Here are ways to get started.
Audit Your Daily To-Do List
Lots of my anxiety (even panic) was induced from a task list that was too long and too powerful. If I didn’t get it done, I felt guilty, thought I couldn’t do anything right, and fed myself lies of low self-worth.
Here are action steps to audit your to-do list.
Make a conscious decision to say “no” to a task. Mark it off as you prioritize other tasks. I found saying it aloud or in my head–the choice and the “why”–to be helpful. “I’m not going to get the floor mopped today. It’s more important to take advantage of the nice weather and go to the zoo before it closes for winter.”
Accept that you can’t do it all. Refrain from guilt. “I need to finish painting the nursery. That means tidying up the living room will need to wait.”
Audit Your Intake
What are you taking in? Mentally? Emotionally? Educationally? What are you absorbing through social media, TV, music? What voices speak into your mind, heart and family?
At the height of my mental health crisis I turned everything off. For a season I left social media, TV, audiobooks, books and movies. I read and listened only to the Bible or Bible study videos. I limited who I spoke to and shared my struggles with. Eventually I turned things back on. But bad habits had been broken and I was able to make healthier, more intentional choices.
Audit Your Home
Similar to auditing your intake, you can take steps toward intentionality by examining what is currently in your home and what you bring in. Are you surrounded with positive messages? Or oppressive clutter? Are you bringing in items haphazardly because you don’t want to see them thrown away? Or thoughtfully choosing what crosses your threshold?
Audit Your Commitments
Purposefully look at the commitments filling your calendar. Are you overwhelmed? Challenge: cut out one commitment. Use polite, but firm language. I assure you, nearly everyone is more understanding about your need to step away than you are.
**I don’t encourage you to leave a team in the lurch. Wrap up your duties and step down. Or speak to the person in charge to make a plan to transition out.
Pause
Pausing is critical to living intentionally everyday. It’s a technique that you’ll benefit from the rest of your life. It goes like this: just pause.
After you’ve audited, start pausing before you add anything back in.
When asked to do something, pause. If you are spending money–first pause. Responding to a fussy toddler or sassy teen? Pause. Adding something to your to-do list? Pause. Turning on the TV, renting a movie, downloading a new audio book? Pause.
Intentionality is purposeful, not a knee-jerk reaction. Practice pausing and taking a moment, or days to come up with an intentional, well-thought response. This will open space in your schedule, home, and mind for things that matter, things that excite your heart and use your God-given gifts.
Own It
Own the decisions you make. The opposite of intentional living is random living. This is not the design God had in mind for us.
We were designed with purpose, structure, order. It’s no wonder that our minds and hearts are more at ease when these principles are in play within our everyday existence.
Random living puts power in forces that are not meant to have dominion over you. Intentional living gives that power back. Own each decision you make. Manifest the truth that you are in control.
If you intentionally decide something and it goes totally amiss–just make another decision. You had reason for choosing what you did. Sometimes things just go wrong. Make a different choice next time…or make a choice right now to get things back on track.
Practice
Like most things worth pursuing, intentionality will take practice and self discipline. However, it will get easier. Commit to practicing a more intentional lifestyle. Choose one of the action steps above to start with. Then add another as you become practiced at the first.
Set a small goal, then take intentional steps toward accomplishing it. Think very small and very specific. Examples: Memorizing one Bible verse each week for a month. Going for a walk everyday for a week. Getting to bed 30 minutes earlier for a week. Etc.
More On Living Intentionally Everyday
Next week’s Intentional Living post will cover taking our thoughts captive and practicing intentionality in our thinking.
In the meantime, I’d love it if you joined me on Facebook and Instagram where I share about cultivating intentionality and a Christ-centered perspective daily. And remember to share this if it’s helped you or touched your heart!
The Bible is a BIG book. Now you’ve finished reading the Bible in 90 Days. That’s a BIG accomplishment. Don’t let your momentum go. If you’re wondering what’s next read on.
We did it! (Or we’re on our way to finishing!) Over the weekend we passed the “official” 90th day of the 90 Day Bible Reading Challenge. It’s wild to think that summer is nearly over and it’s been three months since the challenge started.
As always, I’ll remind you: If you aren’t done, that’s totally okay! It’s more important that you are reading through the Bible in a condensed timeline, than the actual amount of days it takes. The goal here is to get a good overview and understanding of what the Big Picture of the Bible looks like. When read in a short span, we are less likely to forget details.
So whether it took 90 days or you are more on track to finish in 100 (or 150), keep going! You can do it! And you’ll be so glad you did.
With the challenge over and fresh in my mind, I wanted to share some follow up/reflection with you. And if you didn’t join in the Challenge, that’s okay too–maybe some of these reflections will sell you on the idea and you’ll give it a try through the fall. (Get the reading plan here.)
What Now?
Anytime you finish a Bible study or reading strategy, I recommend some reflection before moving on. The rest of the post is an example of my reflection and questions I use to decide what to do next.
Things I’ve Noticed About Myself After Reading The Bible in 90 Days
Whenever I complete a challenge for reading the Bible in 90 days, I ALWAYS notice positive change in myself. Inevitably I think–I should do this more often! But life comes up, and cyclically reading the entire Bible every 90 days isn’t sustainable in my life.
No matter. Every time I complete a cycle I’m reminded of just how powerful God’s Word is. Here are five things I’ve noticed in my mind, attitude and heart through the challenge.
Captive Thoughts. I have had more control over my thoughts. Taking my thoughts captive (II Cor 10:5) now comes with relative ease. Anxiety, worries, lies–they are taken captive, bound, tossed aside and replaced with Truth. Listening/reading big portions of Scripture also leaves little space for those lies to creep into my mind.
Godly Musings. When I wasn’t listening to Scripture, my thoughts were still there. The things I’ve wondered about and talked about have been godly. This practice has made it habit to “set my mind on things above, not on earthly things.” (Col 3:2)
Demeanor. My demeanor is calmer. I organically have more patience and understanding. I see the fruit of the Spirit naturally growing and manifesting in my life.
Intentionality. It’s been so rewarding to see that I can set a goal and achieve it. God has shown me when I pursue Him intentionally, He will make space. The excuses of being in the midst of a remodel, or caring for a 2 year old or being pregnant didn’t stand in the way. With determined intentionality, reading Scripture became a natural part of the day that felt nothing like work.
God’s Voice. I’ve been able to discern God’s voice and inspiration in my heart more clearly.
Ways My Understanding of Scripture Deepened While Reading the Bible in 90 Days
Any purposeful reading of Scripture will deepen our understanding. But here are some specific things (I limited myself to only five) that stood out to me during this reading. Yours will probably be different than mine!
The Sabbath. I gained a deeper understanding of the Sabbath, its meaning and importance. I was so inspired I wrote a series all about Sabbath rest. You can read more here.
The Prophets. This reading plan helped me understand where the prophets fit into the Old Testament narrative, and the Big Picture of the Bible.
Remembrance. Frequently God tells His people to remember. Specifically, to remember the history of Abraham, Moses and Egypt. This history is used throughout Scripture to rebuke, remind, and persuade others of the credibility of God as Yahweh and Jesus as Messiah. It’s important to have an understanding of OT history to explain and defend the credibility of Christ.
The Epistles. The letters to churches recorded in the New Testament are written to different audiences from different authors at different times in different places. Yet so much of the instruction and language is nearly verbatim in its overlap. While each letter is unique, reading them all in a short time opened my eyes to how cohesive these teachings are. This gives deep credibility to their message and testifies to the fact that they witnesses of Jesus. (For more on eye-witness credibility, I highly recommend Cold Case Christianity by J Warner Wallace.)
Sanctification. People are truly only sanctified (set apart, special, made righteous) by God. Through everything, God demonstrates that no person or people group is special on their own. They are special because HE sanctifies them. People cannot and will never be able to achieve righteousness apart from God.
What Next?
Now that this big challenge is drawing to a close it’s important to have a plan for what comes next. Don’t let the new habits and momentum you’ve built up fade away. Be intentional and create a plan that will move you forward now that you’ve finished reading the Bible in 90 days (or maybe a few more.)
Here are some things to ponder as you decide how to move forward. Start with prayer. Where is He calling you to deepen your understanding? Is He calling you to step out as a study or small group leader? Spend time chatting with Him.
What stumped you? What was confusing or raised questions? Dig deeper and search until you’ve got answers have reached a place of understanding.
What was fascinating? Which books or chapters do you wish you could have slowed down and spent more time in? (For me it’s Kings and Chronicles!)
Big chunks or little pieces? Did you enjoy big chunks or are you ready to slow down and dig deep? Reflecting on this will give you a good idea of how to continue in your Bible reading.
Themes. Were there themes that stood out to you? Maybe you’d like to explore them more deeply. (A prime example for me is the Sabbath.)
People, places and times. Is there a person you would like to know better? Is there a place you’d like to know more about? Or is there an era that stood out to you? (Like the divided kingdom, exile, early church, etc.) These are great places to launch an individual study–or track down an organized study that will help you dig deep.
Try journaling your answers. This will help you visualize where you’d like to go next in your Bible reading journey.
Connect and Join the Community
I want to get to know you. Please connect with me on Instagram to get daily encouragement, devotionals and tips for living intentionally in the Kingdom of Christ. You can also find me on Facebook. Or join the email mailing list to be sure you never miss a post. (Just sign up below!)
However you do it, know that I truly, honestly want to know you and encourage you along your faith journey. Together we can be learn to be inspired by God in our daily lives, excited by His Word and motivated to walk in faith–no matter what our circumstances.
This post is last of a series on Sabbath rest. Today we’ll cover some final thoughts and action steps for practicing the Sabbath, including a FREE downloadable guide. Here are the previous posts:
Part I–How to take a Sabbath rest. Personal Sabbath testimony, Sabbath symbolism and meaning.
Part II–Key Bible verses and takeaways for understanding the Sabbath
Part III–Commentaries and resources for understanding the Sabbath
Part IV–Practicing the Sabbath in your home–Free guide and worksheet
Practicing the Sabbath isn’t Legalistic
Today we are wrapping up the Reshaping Your Rest series with a FREE downloadable worksheet and a few final thoughts. The worksheet will walk you through assessing how you currently spend your “day of rest,” auditing your Sabbath activities and an action plan for creating a Sabbath that is both holy to the Lord and refreshing to you.
Best of all, our God cares more about our heart posture than our actions.
It’s easy to let our Sabbath rest become something legalistic. To lay out a list of things we are prohibited from doing. That’s missing the point. The Sabbath is a gift from God, Mark 2:27. (More verses on the Sabbath here.) It’s not meant to be drudgery. It’s not meant to enslave us. (Great commentaries and study resources here.)
The Sabbath is a day of rest and freedom. A day to look back and remember what God has done, enjoy the present and the place God has brought us to, and look forward to a future when things will be perfect and we will truly rest in paradise. The Sabbath doesn’t require us to be stagnant or mindless. (More on symbolism of the Sabbath in Part I and Part II.)
Your Sabbath May Look Different Than Mine.
The way you observe the Sabbath should be obtainable in your own house. In order to keep the day holy (literally: set apart), you need to be able to execute it and enjoy it. Having a Sabbath plan will do you little use if it’s an unobtainable ideal. That will eventually stir up guilt and exhaustion as you strive for rest. As you consider Sabbath rest for your own household keep it simple. (Here are some of my takeaways for inspiration.)
Your day of rest may look different than mine. And that’s okay.
Make a Plan for Practicing the Sabbath in Your Home
This is broken down in greater detail in the worksheet, but here are the steps our house took to Reshape Our Rest.
Prayerfully consider the Sabbath. Ask God to open our hearts to the truth of what He desires our rest to look like. Thank God for inviting us into the Sabbath. Repent of disobedience.
Choose a day that will be our Day of Rest.
Discuss what a “regular” work day looks like. Since the Sabbath should be “set apart” our rest day needs to look different than a work day.
Discuss what feels laborious or oppressive, like work to each of us.
Examine how we currently spend time on the Sabbath.
Filter activities through what Scripture says about the Sabbath.
Brainstorm what activities are acceptable and enjoyable for us on the Sabbath. Again, drawing from Scripture.
Create an action plan of what needs to be done before the Sabbath in order for us to enjoy and observe the Sabbath. This takes a little intentionality and forethought.
Our Sabbath Plan
If this still feels overwhelming I’ll give you an example. We decided to be intentional about the Sabbath over the past year. Previously our day of rest had no plan. Things felt unanchored. Sometimes stressful. Sometimes lonely, if we were busy with our own tasks and “unable” to enjoy our family together. Once in a while, resentful if I perceived that I wasn’t getting the rest I so desperately craved after a long week.
Communication has been key to reshaping our rest. Understanding what is burning us out, what brings refreshment to our family, and how we each effectively commune with God guided our plan.
Practicing the Sabbath looks a little different each week, but we prepare, communicate and examine our hearts before we step into our day of rest. Here are things we do or prioritize on our Sabbath:
Church
Pursue fellowship/edifying conservation/community outside the walls of the church.
Time doing something fun as a family.
For me, working on a house projects. It’s a time when I feel close to God and inspired by Him. **However, if projects become something I’m stressed about or burdened by, I do NOT work on them during the Sabbath. Instead I offer my concerns and stress over getting things done as a sacrifice to God. I choose to trust Him that the work will get done–and enjoy my day.
For Derek, working in the yard or taking care of a few things around the house is refreshing. He is joyful as he provides for our family in ways he cannot during the regular work week.
For Derek, intentional one-on-one time with Gideon is important during his Sabbath. For me, it’s important to step away from Gideon for a bit and have a little time to do something quietly alone.
Now It’s Your Turn
You can get the worksheet for intentionally reshaping your Sabbath over in the resource library. It’s totally FREE. It will walk you through the process we’ve used to set apart our Sabbath as a holy day to God.
For more intentional living, Bible geekery and daily motivation to walk in faith, be sure to join the community on Instagram and Facebook. I’d love to get to know you. Or, sign up for my emails (below), and you’ll get new posts straight to your inbox. Thanks for being here, friends.
Reshaping Your Rest:
Part I–How to take a Sabbath rest. Personal Sabbath testimony, Sabbath symbolism and meaning.
Part II–Key Bible verses and takeaways for understanding the Sabbath
Part III–Commentaries and resources for understanding the Sabbath
Part IV–Practicing the Sabbath in your home–Free guide and worksheet
Today I’m happy to bring you part III of the Reshaping Your Rest series. For once, I’ll be piping down to let others do the talking. I’m sharing a few commentaries and resources that have helped me further understand what setting apart a day of rest really means.
All posts in the series are right here:
Part I–How to take a Sabbath rest. Personal Sabbath testimony, Sabbath symbolism and meaning.
Part II–Key Bible verses and takeaways for understanding the Sabbath
Part III–Commentaries and resources for understanding the Sabbath
Part IV–Practicing the Sabbath in your home–Free guide and worksheet
An Overview of the Sabbath
Do you know the Bible Project? If you don’t, get to know them. I’m a HUGE fan of their work. They produce great, short videos that cover all kinds of Biblical topics. (I’m especially fond of their videos that give a “nutshell” perspective on each book of the Bible. Those are great for anyone, but especially families and young students of the Word.)
Anyway, the Bible Project has a great video on the Sabbath and its origins.
If a few things went too fast, or you’d rather read than watch, see this quick article. It links up all the verse references used in the video.
Is the Sabbath Still Relevant Today?
Is keeping the Sabbath still something relevant to the modern church? This is an excellent question. And while we’re talking about the Bible Project–here is an excellent article that covers a wide range of questions about keeping the Sabbath. (Excerpt below.)
Jesus reminded the people of God’s actual intent for the Sabbath: unity with God, creation, and each other that was first found in Eden on page one of the Bible. Jesus taught that the Sabbath was about mercy and was purposeful. It was supposed to point to him, the one promised through all of Israel’s prophets, the one who would restore the rhythm of creation.
When followers of Jesus observe the Sabbath, we live as if this restoration has already taken place. We take a break from the broken rhythms of hustle and hardship to set aside a time of submission to his rule and enjoyment of his presence and to extend these things to the world around us. When we observe the Sabbath well, we become little resting places of God’s presence.
…As followers of Jesus, we aren’t required to follow the laws given to Israel by God exactly. These were given at a specific time to a specific people group for a specific purpose. Yet the wisdom of those laws is enduring, and the law of the Sabbath is pure gold. It is not a commandment we are bound to; it’s a promise we’re invited to.
Sometimes looking into the meanings of specific words used in the Bible can help glean a deeper understanding of what the text is meant to communicate. The Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew, the New Testament in Greek. Here are a few Hebrew and Greek words I found helpful for understanding the Sabbath as I studied.
How to read interlinear references:
If you’ve never Bible geeked out over an interlinear reference, this could be your first time. At the top is the word we are studying. Next is a section of definitions and uses. At the bottom is concordance results. This is a list of every verse in the Bible that uses the word we are looking at.
**Always remember to read in context and apply the definition as meant by the author. The Word is powerful. We should read to find truth–not arguments that support our own opinions and ideas.**
Shabath: First seen in Genesis 2. This is the word used to describe how God rested on the seventh day.
Nuwach: To rest or settle down. This word has the connotation of comfort, being placed in order, knowing your place and being able to rest securely. (Missy Takano also covers nuwach in her article.)
Shabbath: The word used for the proclaimed and prescribed Sabbath.
Sabbaton: The Greek word used for the proclaimed and prescribed Sabbath in the New Testament.
Katapausis: A calming of the winds, a resting place. This word is used primarily in Hebrews 4–describing the rest of God.
Be diligent to enter that rest: The rest is there, but God does not force it upon us. We must enter that rest. Clearly, the rest is entered by faith; but it takes diligent faith. This shows us that faith is not passive; it takes diligence to trust in, rely on, and cling to Jesus and His work for us.
This directs us to contrive family affairs, so that they may hinder us as little as possible in the work of the sabbath. Works of necessity are to be done on that day; but it is desirable to have as little as may be to do, that we may apply ourselves the more closely to prepare for the life that is to come.
Get Ready to Reshape Your Rest by Keeping the Sabbath
Next week we’ll wrap up our Sabbath series. I’ve got a quick study guide and worksheet for you that will help you reshape your own rest–and more fully align it with the rest God wants to give us.
Until then, I’d love to get to know you! Join me on Instagram or Facebook to connect with me and a growing community committed to striving to live intentionally, viewing the world through a Christ-centered lens. I post *almost* daily encouragement and devotionals–and you can get a behind the scenes look at what I do when I’m not writing in my stories. You can also connect by subscribing to my emails. You’ll be notified every time a new post comes out and have access to the resource library!
As always, thanks for being here. If this series is teaching you or touching your heart, I’d love to hear from you–and I’d love if you shared with friends to help grow this sweet, encouraging corner of the Internet.
Part I–How to take a Sabbath rest. Personal Sabbath testimony, Sabbath symbolism and meaning.
Part II–Key Bible verses and takeaways for understanding the Sabbath
Part III–Commentaries and resources for understanding the Sabbath
Part IV–Practicing the Sabbath in your home–Free guide and worksheet
Welcome back to the Reshaping Your Rest series. Today we will dive into 10 key Bible verses for understanding the Sabbath.
Here are all the posts in this series:
Part I–How to take a Sabbath rest. Personal Sabbath testimony, Sabbath symbolism and meaning.
Part II–Key Bible verses and takeaways for understanding the Sabbath
Part III–Commentaries and resources for understanding the Sabbath
Part IV–Practicing the Sabbath in your home–Free guide and worksheet
The Right Mindset About The Sabbath
The thought I keep coming back to is that God tells us it is a sacrifice to deny ourselves the work we think needs to get done. We created in God’s image. God Himself is a creator and worker. It’s natural for us to work, to have goals, to want to achieve.
The trouble is that those things can become idols. Something we value higher than God’s command to “honor the Sabbath.” Something we think is more important than slowing down, putting aside and obeying.
At first, the idea of a day of rest viewed as a “sacrifice” seems counterintuitive. But it doesn’t take too much thought to connect the two. Especially in our material, secular-success driven culture.
Key Bible Verses for Understanding the Sabbath.
Here are 10 verses/passages that have helped me understand Sabbath rest, as seen from a Biblical perspective.
It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed. Ex 31:17
Key takeaways: God rested. We are to emulate God in all we do. God was refreshed after He rested. How much more will we be refreshed after true rest? Also, just because “He rested…” doesn’t mean God stopped working, caring, or being relational. Likewise, our Sabbath rest should be a rest from work–but not a complete halt to life, relationships or doing Kingdom work.
You shall work six days, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during plowing time and harvest you shall rest. Ex 34:21
Key takeaways: Being in a “busy” season or needing to get things done is not an excuse for neglecting the Sabbath.
This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month you must deny yourselvesand not do any work—whether native-born or a foreigner residing among you— because on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the Lord, you will be clean from all your sins. It is a day of sabbath rest, and you must deny yourselves; it is a lasting ordinance. Leviticus 16:29-31
Key takeaways: Laying work aside is to sacrifice and deny ourselves. God has already done (and will do) the important work of atonement. (Note: in context this verse pertains to an annual celebration of atonement–not just a traditional weekly Sabbath.)
…but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns, so that your male and female servants may rest, as you do. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day. Deut 5:14-15
Key takeaways: Sabbath rest means refraining from traditional work and reflecting where we’ve come with God’s aid. We should also respect others’ right to observe Sabbath rest.
Also I gave them my Sabbaths as a sign between us, so they would know that I the Lord made them holy. Yet the people of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. They did not follow my decrees but rejected my laws—by which the person who obeys them will live—and they utterly desecrated my Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and destroy them in the wilderness. Ezk 20:12-13
Key takeaways: The Sabbath is a gift and sign from God for us. Observing the Sabbath illustrates our trust in God. God is passionate about the Sabbath. He is hurt when it is not observed and honored.
How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath. Matt 12:12
Key takeaways: Observing Sabbath rest is not an excuse to not do good, be kind, do Godly work, or be helpful to others. (See Matthew 12:9-14 for more context.)
Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” Mark 2:27
Key takeaways: The Sabbath is a gift for us. Something God made for us.
It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin. The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it.Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment. On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. Luke 23:54-24:1
Key takeaways: This is a great passage for understanding proper reverence for the Sabbath. It takes intentionality and self-discipline to observe the Sabbath. If the work of these women can be put on hold to honor the Sabbath, our work can also wait.
On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us. Acts 16:13-15
Key takeaways: Fellowship, teaching, fulfilling the great commission, being outdoors, prayer and building relationships are all welcome on the Sabbath.
Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks. Acts 18:4
Key takeaways: Do not use the Sabbath as an excuse to lay around idly or to fill your mind with idle thoughts. New Testament examples of activity on the Sabbath include using spiritual gifts, fellowship, building relationship, teaching, sharing our witness and reflecting with others.
Start Reshaping Your Rest With These Verses and Passages
These Bible verses for understanding the Sabbath are a great place to start reshaping your own rest. Read them, pray over them. Dig deeper by seeing what else Scripture has to say about the Sabbath. (To get you started I ran a quick search for every reference to “Sabbath” on BlueLetterBible.org.)
As you study, remember to think critically about what Scripture is saying. What does the text say? Who does it affect? What actions are taking place? What are the consequences or God’s opinion on those actions? Specifically, what does each verse teach you about who God is and what His character is like?
And, don’t forget to read verses in context to get an accurate understanding of the true meaning of the text.
Coming Up in the Reshaping Your Rest Series
We’ve looked at some background and key Bible verses for understanding the Sabbath. Next week, I’ll be sharing resources, commentaries, and a little Hebrew that will help you understand the rest God wants to give us even more deeply. Then, we’ll finish up with a worksheet that will help you intentionally reshape how you accept this gift from God.
In the meantime, I’d love to get to know you better, by connecting with you on Instagram and Facebook. There, you’ll find a community striving to live intentionally, while viewing life through a Christ’s Kingdom lens. You’ll also get daily inspiration and motivation for living intentionally with a Kingdom mindset (and fun anecdotes and mishaps from my home.) If this series is hitting your heart, I’d love if you shared. If you’d like to get all the latest posts straight to your inbox, just sign up below!
Part I–How to take a Sabbath rest. Personal Sabbath testimony, Sabbath symbolism and meaning.
Part II–Key Bible verses and takeaways for understanding the Sabbath
Part III–Commentaries and resources for understanding the Sabbath
Part IV–Practicing the Sabbath in your home–Free guide and worksheet
This is the first installment of a series on the Sabbath. Here are all the posts in the series:
Part I–How to take a Sabbath rest. Personal Sabbath testimony, Sabbath symbolism and meaning.
Part II–Key Bible verses and takeaways for understanding the Sabbath
Part III–Commentaries and resources for understanding the Sabbath
Part IV–Practicing the Sabbath in your home–Free guide and worksheet
I just got back from vacation. It was nice, relaxing. All the things you want a little time away to be. But there was something deeper going on in me. I’ve been thinking about rest. Real rest. Something we can all relate to (and many of us struggle with.)
Weeks ago, toward the beginning of the 90 Day Bible Reading Challenge, I started turning over the idea of Sabbath rest. Every time I read anything about the Sabbath my heart skipped a beat, the verse became ingrained in my mind. I thought about it through the day. I brought it up with my husband in the evening. This felt like a call to deepen my understanding and change my patterns.
Vacation forced me to set aside work. And allowed me to set aside lots of things that feel like work. This seemed like the ideal time to share what I’ve been learning at start fresh, when it comes to true Sabbath rest.
The Challenge is nearly over. And I’ve been surprised how often Sabbath rest comes up, and how serious God takes it.
I want to be more intentional about observing the Sabbath. As a family, we’ve started to intentionally act on what the Bible tells us about how to take a Sabbath Rest–but I still have a ways to go. Luckily, God sees the heart. He knows I’m earnestly trying to do better, to enter into the rest He wants me to have.
A New Understanding of Sabbath Rest
Until recently I have never attempted to fully understand the Sabbath. However, I’ve spent a lot of my extra time cross referencing and burrowing into what the Bible says about Sabbath rest. I’ve read verses, revisited chapters, looked at commentaries, and prayed.
I’ve learned a lot. This is a practice introduced at the beginning of the Bible and continues through the New Testament. When Israel falls short or turns her back on God–and God becomes angry–He almost always cites neglect of the Sabbath as one of their infractions.
Interesting right?
Obviously, this is close to His heart. Yet, I think it’s one of the most overlooked commandments in our culture today. We are taught not to have other gods, murder, worship idols, steal, commit adultery, covet, or bear false witness. We know we are supposed to honor our parents and never use the Lord’s name in vain. But when it comes to the Sabbath, we can be surprisingly blasé.
Honoring the Sabbath almost seems like a forgotten commandment.
As I’ve studied, I’ve fallen in love with God’s design for Sabbath rest. It’s beautifully simple, yet so profound it sets our God apart from all others. A sacred day of rest was unique to Israel, a gift from her God. Other Ancient Near Eastern religions and gods did no such thing.
The Sabbath is beautifully symbolic. It symbolizes God’s good-will and care for mankind. By observing it, we show our trust in His care. By setting aside work, we demonstrate an understanding that we are not saved by works–God grace is enough and Christ accomplished the work on the cross.
I could chat for days about how beautiful the Sabbath is. But I’ll let you do some critical thinking of your own.
Some of My Sabbath Takeaways
The idea of “self care” is so hot right now. It seems like everywhere I look I see suggestions and social media posts with ideas for self care. Don’t get me wrong. Self care is fun–and important. But don’t confuse it with the Sabbath. Sabbath rest is deeper and sweeter. Sabbath rest looks outward–turning our eyes toward God, others in need, and expanding the kingdom. In no way is taking Sabbath rest a selfish pursuit. I’m excited to share more with you next week.
First, here are my own bullet points summarizing my new understanding of the Sabbath.
The Sabbath is important and dear to God’s heart, therefore it should be important and dear to our hearts as well.
A day of rest refreshed God. How much more will it refresh me?
The Sabbath is a type of sacrifice. We are to intentionally choose to refrain from work and choose rest. This shows devotion to God and trust that He will provide time and means for our work to be completed–despite sacrificing time away from work to Him.
The Sabbath is metaphorical. Refraining from work and choosing rest is an outward symbol that our works do not earn us favor with God. Christ did the only work that really mattered, and He finished it on the cross.
Sabbath rest is not an excuse to be lazy and binge watch TV. It is not an excuse to be unkind or avoid helping others. The Sabbath is a time to turn our minds to God-honoring thoughts and our hands to God-honoring activities. This means, if I’d be uncomfortable committing an act to the Lord, or partaking in an activity with Jesus in the room–it shouldn’t be done on the Sabbath.
Fellowship, teaching, reflection, enjoying nature, enjoying God’s provision, sharing your experiences with God with others, cultivating relationships…(the list goes on) are all welcome during a day of Sabbath rest.
Observing Sabbath (and gleaning the benefits God wants us to have from it) takes intentionality and practice. Create a plan for how you will observe the Sabbath and get your family on board.
Start Reshaping Your Sabbath Today
Next week we’ll be exploring verses that explain the Sabbath, but I encourage you to start reshaping your take on the Sabbath today. Don’t get overwhelmed. Start with reflection. Here are a couple ideas.
Are you exhausted? Does the word “refreshed” make your soul leap? Do you feel weary?
How do you currently observe the Sabbath? Is it just about church, or is there something deeper happening?
Pray that God would open your eyes and heart to what He wants the Sabbath to look like in your life and home. Ask God to give you a teachable heart and a discerning mind as you reexamine rest. Start a conversation in your home about Sabbath rest.
Coming Up: More on How to Take a Sabbath Rest
Next week I’ll be sharing 10 verses/passages that have reshaped the way I view Sabbath rest. Here are all the posts in the series:
Part I–How to take a Sabbath rest. Personal Sabbath testimony, Sabbath symbolism and meaning.
Part II–Key Bible verses and takeaways for understanding the Sabbath
Part III–Commentaries and resources for understanding the Sabbath
Part IV–Practicing the Sabbath in your home–Free guide and worksheet
In the meantime, I hope you’ll start thinking about how you can take a Sabbath rest. I’d love to have you share this if it touched your heart today–and I’d love to get to know you personally by connecting on Instagram and Facebook. There you’ll find daily encouragement and a community of others striving to live life with intentionality, viewing the world through a Christ-centered lens.
I wish I was good with plants. But that’s just not the case.
I come from long lines of folks who are plant savvy. My parents have a massive garden that feeds the family all year. Their yard, patio and deck are adorned with flowers and containers all summer. My sister’s got it. All my grandparents were had it too.
I try. But half the time my vegetables turn out undersized and my succulents shrivel up on the shelf.
At Acorn House we’ve been blessed (or cursed) with a unique challenge–a blank slate for landscaping. No bushes, no beds, no plants of any kind (except a massive amount of weeds.)
I’ve spent the summer working on landscaping and building perennial beds around the property. We bought some plants. Others were split from larger plants and shared with me. Others have been transplanted from friends’ homes.
God Is Teaching Me To Wait Expectantly
While I’ve tackled this project, I’ve tuned my ear to God and what He has to teach me in the process.
All season, He has been using plants to weave anecdotes and examples of His Truth into my heart.
A theme God has been stirring in my heart throughout the summer is expectantly waiting. Expectantly investing in this season, for a bigger payout in future years.
Every plant that has gone in around the house is small. Young azaleas and hostas in front. Seedling hollyhocks, lilacs and fir trees at the perimeter. Transplanted or split daisies, day lilies, lily of the valley, and herbs in the back.
It’s a lot of plants. My thought is, with all of this…something is bound to make it.
Jokes aside, we’ve got vision for these plants. Right now they are immature, not much to look at. However, I water them and attempt to care for them this season because I’m looking forward to growth in the years to come. I busy myself adding more perennials to the beds because when I close my eyes, I imagine a home surrounded by mature, lush landscape.
Here’s one thing God has been reminding me while I work in the yard: All plants start with a seed. No matter how big their potential, they all start with a seed, that becomes a fragile new plant, and eventually turns into something bigger and more beautiful every season.
Am I Waiting Expectantly in All Aspects of My Life?
Even with all this work and waiting, I’m content and full of expectation for the years to come. Not impatient that seedlings and transplants aren’t living up to their full potential in the first season.
God seems to bring this to mind every time I’m in the yard. So I’ve started to ponder: DoI extend the same grace and expectation in other areas of my life and faith walk?
So often when I work up the courage to speak up in truth, share the Gospel, or plant a seed of Truth, I either want to see immediate results or I give up and don’t expect anything to happen.
Anyone else? Anyone?
It all goes back to waiting expectantly. I’m no gardener. All I can do is plant, care and expectantly wait for growth, maturity, beauty and change in the seasons to come. With my yard, I am waiting expectantly. I fully anticipate bigger plants next year. More flowers. Something more substantial.
When I plant seeds of Truth by sharing my experiences or even the Gospel, I’m guilty of impatience, and worse, not waiting with expectation. I assume the blame. The seed was a dud, I didn’t have the answers or the words or the right moment to share. Instead of expecting something to happen in seasons to come, I’ve already decided there’s nothing to expect.
Ouch.
This summer, as I’ve worked with my plants, God has reminded me (convicted my heart) to wait with expectation. Stop giving up hope when results aren’t quick. Stop being impatient for growth. Wait expectantly for things to grow in their own time, in their own season. Confess and repent for losing hope for seeds planted, not trusting God to do His work.
Wait expectantly. God is ultimately the One who will spur something to grow and mature. (1 Corinthians 3:6-9)
Wait expectantly. To stop expecting a result means we’ve stopped believing a result will come, or is even possible. God assures us nothing is impossible for Him. The Bible is full of examples of how seeds planted grow and mature in due season. (Hebrews 11:1-3; Matthew 19:26)
Let’s intentionally wait more expectantly. It’s not our responsibility to make seeds of truth grow. We can only have faith that God is working. Let’s intentionally live with greater expectation and anticipation of what God is doing and will do.
Whatever you are waiting on. Whatever seeds you think may not have taken or will never mature–take heart. Allow expectation to ease the heartache that waiting can bring. Continue to invest and plant now, with expectation for the seasons yet to come.
For more intentionally living, while seeing life through a Christ-centered lens join me on Instagram and Facebook. I offer encouragement and resources all week long to keep you inspired in your daily life, excited about God’s Word and motivated to walk in faith.
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