Selfcare: Rest for Your Soul—Exodus 20: 8-11; Matthew 11: 28-30
I read a self-care article the other day titled, “Ten Signs Your Soul Is Tired.” Unfortunately, now I’m both tired and worried about why I’m tired. The signs included the following: struggling to believe God’s promises, unable to pray, people-focused, settling instead of thriving, unbelieving, angry, dissatisfied, isolated, insecure, and lacking self-control. And, well, after that list, I think I’ve diagnosed half the world’s problems!
There are many ways we can say we are tired. It may be from physical exertion and our body is tired. We may have worked through complex problems and our brain is weary. Or…or…it may be that the soul is tired, and no amount of rest, water, and dietary supplements will help us. As a society, neglecting our physical well-being is second only to the neglect and abuse we place upon our soul and spirit. Self-care in a faith-filled way begins not in a diet and exercise, but when we take rest for our souls.
The scriptures for today are short. Exodus is a very familiar passage telling us to keep the Sabbath holy and adding that the people should do no work on that day. If some of this seems familiar, I can help. This scripture is found right in the middle of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20. What does it mean when the scripture says to “observe” the Sabbath and “keep it holy?” It is true that there was an entire work stoppage in the Hebrew community. No one did anything on the Sabbath—no work, cooking, cleaning, limited walking, nothing. They didn’t even sacrifice or do the work of worship in this time.
The Sabbath was designed as the one day where the people disengaged from all responsibility to other humans and turned complete attention unto Yahweh, or God. It comes from God’s own sabbath during the creation story in Genesis. This idea of a Sabbath, of turning from routine labors to focus on God, is foundational and integral to life and to the people of God.
We often take 5 minutes here or spend a couple hours watching a movie. We may occasionally turn off our phone and computer for a bit, but only just a bit! For many of us, though, I believe it’s been a long time since we actually engaged in the practice of Sabbath. A few minutes or an hour or two alone with God is not enough. Even if all of our activities of life revolve around doing God’s work, we are still neglecting our soul’s rest and time in peace and stillness with God. We need rest for our souls, and constant sensory stimulation with every gadget, device, book, and activity under the sun will not provide the rest our souls need.
Through their history, the Hebrew people have looked to this Sabbath as what separated them from others—during times of strength, vulnerability, captivity, and exile, they remained close to God through this time and attention to dwelling with God in quiet and in Sabbath time. Our modern society tried to legislate it with blue laws limiting liquor sales, business hours of operation, and other things. But you can’t legislate a spiritual discipline.
Spending time in Sabbath—finding rest for the soul is something we have to seek out and work at doing. It hard to do. Many people say they don’t like to be alone or be still with their own thoughts. They need that constant noise and distraction. But even as we keep busy, the soul will grow more and more tired until sleep, a healthy lifestyle, and even distraction cannot lift us out of life’s weariness.
Jesus offers the help we need. He said to the people in Matthew’s gospel, “Come unto me all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” He gets right to the heart of the point here, in trusting in Christ, you will find rest for your soul. In a very real sense, Jesus was targeting those who were burdened by the many silly rules the religious leaders of his day had created. He wanted the people to unburden themselves from a religious practice which was neither practical to do nor particularly saving or redemptive.
But there’s more than just the historical part to this. The more we trust in Jesus and follow him, the more our souls and spirits are liberated. Here’s the proof. Let’s say you’re mad and worked up about something, so you call your close friend and tell them you need a few minutes to vent and complain. Usually at the end of that call, there’s a sigh of relief. There’s an old hymn, “Tell It to Jesus,” which says, “Are you weary, are you heavyhearted? Tell it to Jesus.” We have that open invitation—Jesus said, “Come unto me!”
If we plan to do the work of God here on earth, our spirits must be ready and engaged. Too often we over tax, over burden, and over stress ourselves. I read something the other day that said, “Sometimes you can get so busy trying to be everyone else’s anchor that you don’t realize you are actually drowning.” It’s much like the old saying that you cannot pour from an empty bottle.
Why do we continuously take on more and more heavy burdens—worry, doubt, dread, anxiety, and stress? It reminds me of going through the store without a shopping cart (or buggy based on where in the South you live) and piling item after item up in your arms until you cannot carry anything else. Jesus says, “Come unto me all of you who carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” There may still be some doubt, fear, and worry in life, but there is also then a loving Savior who shares the load, hears our cries for help, and offers peace in our sufferings.
When was the last time you took a few moments and spent time alone with God? When was the last time you were willing to release those burdens and share them with the God who created the universe who has the power to help us? From the dawn of time, God has called us to take time for a Sabbath—not just a 50 minute worship service followed by the rest of the day’s busy work, but a real and true Sabbath. When was the last time we disconnected from the world and all the people and simply spent time in meditation and prayer casting our burdens on Christ? If there is to be any peace in this world, it has to begin with us—in our souls—seeking rest and restoration. In those times life’s burdens overwhelm us and threaten to undo our sanity, remember this word from Jesus, “Come unto me, and I will give you rest.”
Service Video: https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/446500560671921