Mark 2:27-28–And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.  28 So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.” 

Do you feel like in order to experience peace or rest, you have to complete this list of things in your head?  Whether that centers around your family, friends, job, school etc. how much of those times do you really experience peace and rest?  Although not doing things you know you should, should disturb your peace (James 4:17).  Yet do you equate inner peace with accomplishing things in your life?

That actually has been one of the hardest challenges for me in my life.  Not doing what I feel like I should be doing, even though I am doing what God called me to do. It really comes down to resting in God, as opposed to resting in what I could be doing or accomplishing.  Generally those ideas of what you could be doing, comes from definitions of success that have been instilled in us, as opposed to what God has for us.

Much like the Pharisees, it is easy for me to equate Sabbath rest with fulfilling “a work”, instead of expanding it to what God’s intention were.  The Sabbath was to be “a shadow” of what Christ would come and do in His perfect work on the cross, enabling us to have spiritual rest in Him!  Spiritual rest has nothing to do with circumstances, or conditions that we would like to be altered.  It goes beyond a day, or something we look forward to so we can have rest, it is Christ Himself!

To observe days and circumstances to determine whether we are going to experience true rest or not, is not a life of faith and worship, but idolatry (Galatians 4:10).  Faith calls on us to seek Christ for rest, not allow people, or circumstances to dictate it whatsoever. Because people nor anything else, did the work of Jesus in order for us to experience true rest in Christ!  To regulate rest to people’s opinions, certain days, or some future expectation, is to live religious and out of faith in Christ as the lord of the Sabbath.

In His Love, Ld