The Hardest Commandment

Receiving the gift of rest

That laundry pulls at me. I see it sitting there, the pile growing physically before my eyes as the day progresses. I’m so tempted to throw it all in the washing machine, but as part of my desire to take a day to rest, at times I have to literally close my eyes and walk away. I know if I start a load, then an hour later I’ll be out in the sun hanging it up, which is far from restful.

I’m not sure why one of the simplest commandments, a gift actually, is so hard for me to keep. In Exodus 35:2, Moses tells the Israelites, “For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day shall be your holy day, a day of sabbath rest to the LORD” (NIV). In this busy season of life with young children (including one who still wakes up in the middle of the night), I crave rest. It seems to be the one thing I never quite get enough of, and yet when offered the gift of intentional rest on the Sabbath, I struggle to let go of the routines I cling to in order to stay afloat.

But the beauty of taking a day off is seeing that the work will wait. What can feel so urgent likely won’t result in too much mayhem if it sits for twenty-four hours. I do find that choosing to ignore the laundry for a day and reading something life-giving or even getting in a nap really does help recharge my batteries. Mentally, I find myself in a much better headspace. Catching up the next day often goes a lot quicker than I expected it to.

The gift of Sabbath is seeing that the world keeps spinning. Life keeps going. Burdens can be put down and picked up again. Yes, work is important and even good, but so is rest. I’m often surprised by how much more creative I feel after a day of telling myself, I’ll get to that tomorrow. We’re not meant to go at full speed all the time, and while it can feel hard to ignore the work calling my name, I’m grateful God values rest so much that He gave us the gift of the Sabbath.