Sacred Saturday

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest
(Matthew 11:28 NIV)

The original title of this post was “It’s Okay to Rest,” but then in conversation with a friend she mentioned she called Saturday, “Sacred Saturday.” Saturdays are her chosen day of rest, as is mine. I try to run all my errands during the week and free up Saturday for rest and relaxation.

We live in a world that moves at a frenetic pace with constant demands on our time and emotions. Air travel, social media, and 24-7 access to almost everything can lead to burn out and exhaustion. The invention of electricity was a great boon, but it has its downside. Our lives no longer follow the rhythm of the universe. In earlier days, people would go to sleep when the sun set and get up when the sun rose. But now thanks to Thomas Edison we can keep going all night if we want to. It should come as no surprise that we become weary, sometimes bone weary, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually worn out.

When exhaustion sets in and you find yourself struggling to keep going, take a time out and go to Jesus. He understands. He got weary too. He was so weary He fell asleep in a rocking boat in a violent storm.

And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow (Mark 4:38 NKJV)

Follow the example of the apostle John, rest your weary head against your Savior’s chest and listen to the sound of the heart that once stopped beating to save you.

Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved (John 13:23 NKJV).

Set aside a “Sacred Saturday,” a time when you can rest from the constant demands of the world. It's okay to nap, do nothing, turn off the phone, take a break from extra-curricular activities. It’s even okay to take a break from church activities. God can manage without your input for a while. You will be able to serve Him far better after a time of rest.