God wants good things for us. One of the evidences of his love is the fourth commandment: “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy” (Exodus 20:8).

It’s a matter of health and well-being—not just spiritually, but physically and mentally.

For a lot of people, dedicating time to find rest is difficult. I understand that. I’m one of them! But we find fresh motivation when we understand that God is loving, wants good things for us, and prescribes a plan for our well-being.

Dr. James Brown says: “We doctors in the treatment of nervous diseases are compelled to provide periods of rest. Some of these periods are, I think, only Sundays in arrears.”*

In other words, people dealing with nervous diseases—and, I would argue, other stresses and burdens—often need to be prescribed periods of rest by a doctor. He says that this prescription is like a back-log of Sundays.

What if Sabbath rest was not only about obedience to God but preventative medicine! 

Some people do this well. Others don’t. Perhaps we can all look for that next best step toward more authentic Sabbath rest. It is evidence of God’s ongoing, battery-recharging love for you.

To be at your best, rest.

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Notes:

-“The counter-cultural restoration of Sabbath rest one day a week.” Sermon. Click here.
-*Christopher Ash, Zeal Without Burnout (TheGoodBook Company, 2016), 58.
-Bible quotes are from the NIV.