Daily Rhythms (Sabbath) - #019

In this short episode, we're taking a moment to remember God's gift of Sabbath—a sacred invitation to pause, rest, and reconnect with Him. Sabbath was never meant to be another rule to follow or task to accomplish, but a rhythm of trust that reminds us we are human beings, not human doings. Join us for a brief encouragement to slow down, lay down your striving, and receive the rest and renewal God intended from the very beginning.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome back to Pockets of Paradise podcast. I'm Larson Griffith with Meg and Tutter. And we've got some good stuff for you today. Let's do it.

SPEAKER_00 0:16

Hey guys, welcome back to the Pockets of Paradise podcast. We're so happy you came to join us. Today we're continuing our series on what we're we finally decided to call daily rhythms. Yes. So we're just talking about little practical practices that Christians have been doing since the beginning of Christianity. And um the whole purpose of them is to help you grow and cultivate a relationship with the Lord. Um and so we're gonna go over a lot of them, but today we're gonna do just the Sabbath, which is so important, so important that the Lord put it in the Ten Commandments. Um, it is number four in the Ten Commandments. Yes. And it is remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. Yes. So for those of you who did not grow up in church, Sabbath just means day of rest. Um, and we'll get into what that means in a second, even more. But it is a day of rest designated by God um for us. And it's a gift. So when you think of Sabbath, Larson, what do you think of?

SPEAKER_01 1:24

Um, I think of just stopping your day-to-day grind, everyday work, and we're gonna talk about it, but it looks different, you know, in different seasons of your life. So right now it's more of I think like being intentional with my time that whole day, not just like, you know, a couple hours here and there.

SPEAKER_00 1:49

Yeah. Yeah. I grew up with I just thought Sabbath meant going to church, honestly.

SPEAKER_01 1:55

Yeah. Well, going to church and then don't talk to me after because it's nap time. Yes.

unknown 2:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:01

My parents were like, shut the door.

unknown 2:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:03

So Sabbath, what Sunday growing up for me was like, we got up, we went to church. I could not wait to get my pantios off and my play clothes on, and then my house smelled like pot roast or whatever. My mom was cooking and my parents were resting, and we would play.

SPEAKER_01 2:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:22

And it was a very slow day.

SPEAKER_01 2:24

Um, we go back to church at six o'clock that night.

SPEAKER_00 2:27

Yeah, we would sometimes. Things are different. Yeah, things are different. Um, which is so funny. I forgot about Sunday night church. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:35

Or Sunday school in the morning. Sunday school.

SPEAKER_00 2:37

I miss Sunday school. Bring it back. I think that's what podcasts are now. Yeah, groups and podcasts. Um bring it back. But I um would that was that was just what I had in my head is Sabbath is Sunday, and that's what Sundays were. But I never really fully knew God's intention behind Sabbath until I got older and I studied it, and I'm still learning about it. Like it is such a gift.

SPEAKER_01 3:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:03

And it's such there's so much goodness in it. Um, but I also didn't know until I was researching that Sabbath is actually a Saturday. Um, so Shabbat, because Jesus was Jewish, right? And then he was denied by the Jews, thank goodness, because now we're in the club. So but welcome. But he in the beginning, when he created all things, he worked for six days, and on the seventh day he rested. Not because God needs rest, but because he wanted to delight in what he made.

SPEAKER_01 3:33

Yeah. But I I love in like Mark 227 where he says the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. Yes. So like we need it. Yeah. We need it, and it doesn't have to be so legalistic, if that makes sense. Yes. In a lot of ways. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:50

I I wrote legalistic in all caps.

SPEAKER_01 3:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:53

Um, because Sabbath legalism, God is not legalistic. Yeah. He has a law and he's serious about it, but he also and he's a god of justice, so I don't want to twist that. Yeah. But legalism is taking something good and making it not good. Yeah. Um, through rules. So, like rules are meant to guide you and protect you and help you reach your full potential. So, for example, Jesus healed someone on the Sabbath, and they thought, oh, you can't work on the Sabbath. That's a sin. Right. So they called him out for that. Which I love. And then they called him blasphemous because he's like, I can do that because I'm God. And then that's why they but that's why they sent him to the cross. Like that is legalism.

SPEAKER_01 4:39

It's crazy though, because it's also like it was an overflow of who he was. And they're like, Nope, you can't be that on that day. Yeah. You know, like it's like, no, no, no, stop all that. And I'm like, wait, what?

SPEAKER_00 4:49

What? Yeah. But the the law of a Sabbath is rest and delight in the Lord. And the Bible even says, like, you can do good work on the Sabbath, right? Um, yeah, like have common sense about it, right? This woman's been sick her whole life and Jesus healed her, but oh my gosh, it's a sin because you healed her on Sabbath, right? And so Jesus is like, no, that isn't a sin. But that the legalism takes that's how the enemy will take something that God gave us for good and he'll condemn you with it.

SPEAKER_01 5:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:21

Um, and God's like, nope, that's not what that's about. And so I think a lot of times people get very legalistic about Sabbath, but um, there's actually much more freedom in it than people realize, I think.

SPEAKER_01 5:33

Yeah. And and we might get into this, I don't remember, but like it also you can have moments of that throughout the week too. Like it doesn't necessarily have to be just one, like you need it throughout the week as well because of the uh crazy busyness, I believe, of our culture today.

SPEAKER_00 5:52

Yes, and Sabbath, everyone's work schedule is different in this day and age. So I have people ask me, well, like I can't, I have to work on Saturdays. So and then I'll quickly ask them, is there another day that you could dedicate to the Lord? Because it's really just dedicating that time to be intentional about being grateful. So there's different parts of Sabbath. So rest is one of them where we're called to stop what we're doing and stop striving, stop doing work that benefits us and trust that God is gonna carry what we don't. Like the world keeps spinning, yeah, even if we sit still, and the Lord holds things together even when we sit still, and it's allowing ourselves to rest and replenish and trust God with that. Because and I struggle with that even at my house, like I'm like, oh gosh, I need to do all the laundry. I am having Sabbath and I'm doing eight loads of laundry and I'm doing I'm cleaning out this closet, and this is Sabbath. This is relaxing for me. And then Megan But it's not, but it's not for me.

SPEAKER_01 6:52

Yeah, I'll say that now. It is but it's like, yeah, so but it's the day where you have a few hours and you're like, oh, I need to be productive. Now, sometimes though, I feel like that can be fulfilling for someone, and not me. Yeah, my cousins like that, I think, a little bit in some ways. And so like I can see that, but like uh one thing I heard recently, um, because after you said on the last episode you had sent me this podcast, well, let me down like this whole rabbit trail. Um, and they were like, Well, what I do if I, you know, need to do the laundry or whatever is I pray for the kid I'm folding the clothes for, or for the person I'm folding the clothes for. And I was like, that's kind of cool because that's still like leaning on God to like take care of them. But I feel like that could be like an any day, you know, practice.

SPEAKER_00 7:40

Yes, that you could do. Yes, it could be any day, but it but especially on Sabbath, it's dedicating that time to just delighting in the Lord. So rest and know that he loves you even when you're not doing anything. Um worship individually and in a congregation if you can. Um, but worship him. And worship can look like singing and dancing, but it can also look like being creative. It can look like using your gifts that he gave you. It can be writing a new song, it can be painting something, it can be writing something. Um, I said writing twice, but I meant like journaling or like just the meditating on his goodness. Like it can be if you're a carpenter, like build something. Yeah. If you cook, cook something, like something fulfilled. Something that you that lights you up and that you enjoy and God's given it to you, do it. And with a heart of gratitude, that is worship. Um, delight is another part of Sabbath where we delight in the Lord, and I and delight and playfulness go hand in hand. So, like for me, I love being outside. I love playing with my family. Like last night we played volleyball and and like it's just fun. Like we just go out and play, or we play a board game, or we do a puzzle, or just do things to delight in each other and the presence of God, trust, connection with God, and feasting is another part of Sabbath that um it's just eating good food and and just being thankful, like making making it special. I know some people put their cell phones in the drawer and don't turn them on for 24 hours. Um, and I try to do that on Sabbath. And for my family, I've me and Clint have talked about this a little bit where Sundays with two littles does not feel like rest to me at all. So, and usually Sunday is my day that I'm preparing for the week. Yeah. And so Saturday is the day we play, and that is the day that I just I wake up and I drink my coffee and I spend the time with the Lord and I pray, and like those are my days where I am like just soaking in his goodness and just thankful. Um, and and Clint is really good about that too. And sometimes we're at home, sometimes we go out on an adventure, but whatever it is, it's we're we're stopping working and we're and we're turning our heart towards the playfulness and the goodness of God. Yeah. And it just fills us up in a way that we need.

SPEAKER_01 10:10

And it is, it's um one of the things it says here, I'm reading off of it or about it. It says Sabbath becomes a reminder that God is carrying what we cannot. Yeah. And I love that because in my season of life right now, like going through grief, I feel like that's a huge thing because I'm always striving, trying to think of the next thing that I need to do or fix or uh come to terms with, or whatever it might be, and it's just a laying it down at his feet. Like I can let this down, let this go for a minute and just be just rest. Yeah. Yeah. It's really hard to do. Yeah. Like I feel like Sabbath in general is really hard to do now, especially.

SPEAKER_00 10:51

Oh yeah, especially in the hustle culture we're in. Yeah. But when you actually do it, you realize the when you do go back to work, you're so much better for it.

SPEAKER_01 11:01

Yeah. I think there's times where at uh a previous job I had where I would definitely like feel myself getting tense or worked up over, or just I completely disagree with whatever's going on. And I would have to like check, check my heart and check the temperature of my heart to be able to go to the next thing and be able to move past it and work through it. And so I would have to like, like we've said before in previous times, like go out to the hallway and take a deep breath and be like, God, I trust you. Yeah. And just lay it down at his feet. And I feel like even those moments are like the little moments of resting in him. Yeah. That helps me be a better Christian and helps me be um a reflection of him in the daily.

SPEAKER_00 11:52

I have moments in counseling all the time. Yeah. Where I'm looking a person in the face and I'm hearing their story. Yeah. And I'm breathing and I'm like, Lord, I need your wisdom. Yeah. Speak because I don't know what to say. Right. Like, and he does. But it's be that it that awareness and that rest of like, okay, I can give this to you.

SPEAKER_01 12:11

But I do think it it definitely like is so important to m take intentional time.

SPEAKER_00 12:18

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 12:18

And in a day of that is gonna set you up for the rest of the week.

SPEAKER_00 12:23

And I and I think when you have rhythms like Sabbath in your life, it it overflows into everything, is what you're saying. Yeah. So like for when I go back to work, for example, counseling, it overflows into that.

SPEAKER_01 12:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:35

But you have to have some sort of reserves.

SPEAKER_01 12:37

Yes. You're quick to recognize when you need it.

SPEAKER_00 12:41

Yes, yeah. Like fill me up. I need a refill. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Um, so yeah, this is a short podcast. But we just wanted to kind of touch on Sabbath and encourage you to create a Sabbath in your week. Um, and if you have to work on Sundays, that's okay. You can pick a different day. And if you don't even have a day, start with half a day. Start with an hour. Give God what you can. Um, and block that time off and protect it because I promise you, yes, the enemy will try to sabotage it. Absolutely. He will try to steal your joy, he will try to um distract you. You will find yourself wanting to doom scroll and say, Oh my god, I just was I just wasted 45 hours or for 45 minutes when it feels like hours. Please, please don't do it for 45 hours. It's the vortex. Um, but like you get sucked in, and it's like, oh my goodness, I just wasted half my day. How did this happen? Yeah. Um, that's intentional spiritual warfare on you. So have your guard up, throw your phone in a drawer if you can, or turn it on, do not disturb, and be present. Go live the life God gave you to live. Delight in it. And delight in it, romanticize your own life. And that's something I've been working on for a while. And I've I'm at a point in contentment in my life that I haven't been in in a very long time. And I think it's because of that. It's because of the gratitude and and the awareness of like, man, who gets to be me? Who gets to love the Lord? Who gets to know the Lord? How who am I? Like, and what a gift that is. Um, and so that's what Sabbath is all about is God is a good father and he loves you, and you don't have to earn it. And you can have fun and that be worship too. Like, I think about when you give your kid a gift, you want them to play with it. Yeah. Like the best sound in the world is hearing your kid's belly laugh. God wants more of that. It's good for you. It's good for you to lay down what you're doing and just be it's a it's a holy thing to experience him in that way.

SPEAKER_01 14:51

Oh my gosh, yeah. And to recognize that it's him in those moments. For sure. Yep. It's a good reminder, Megan.

SPEAKER_00 15:01

I know, I know. It's hard to keep that perspective. And it's it's something you have to protect. And I'm not perfect at it all the time. But I'm working on it. It's always worth it. Yeah. And so and it's like, you know, it's like tithing. God gives it everything is really God's, and he just asks for 10% back, right? Of our money to give into the kingdom. That's like out of ten apples, you give them one. And all of them are actually his. And he lets us keep nine, right? But and same thing with our days, like he asked us for one day. We get six to do it our way. He asked us for one because in the Bible says it's for us. He knows it's good for us. And there's actually studies too that show um the people who actually practice this very well. I I can't remember what study it was. It was either the Amish or um Latter-day Saints, but they studied the males, and that population ended up living like on average eight years longer than the population, like something crazy. Um, so there's health benefits to it too.

SPEAKER_01 16:09

There are health benefits, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:10

Mental, physical, spiritual, all the above. But that's our encouragement to you is have a Sabbath, protect it, and delight in it, and make it a part of your rhythms. Yes. Absolutely. All right. Well, we will catch you next week.