Feeling Stressed?
Are you feeling stressed? I was reading the Telegraph yesterday and I ran across this headline…
Britain in the grip of a stress epidemic because of ‘always on’ culture, survey finds
Always ON…
God instructs us to switch off once a week. We ignore this to our detriment. Every 6 days the cycle is complete and we told to rest. It’s not just about ceasing to do stuff. It is about a day that is distinctly different from every other day. A day that restores, a day that takes the last 6 days in its stride, bringing them to a close. Celebrating what has been achieved, looking ahead with faith-filled anticipation to what the Lord will do in the week ahead.
The three main areas of stress are; work, finances, and health. The thing about stress is it literally rots away your bones. For some, it is a stress to make ends meet each month. But the added stress of comparison and wanting what we see others have adds a totally extra layer. We end up living our lives for the approval of others and that just eats away not just in the emotional, spiritual, but also it physically takes its tole.
A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot. – Proverbs 14:30
Here are 3 simple Sabbath tips for reducing stress in your life. Sabbath is a tradition that has literally thousands of years of experience in stress detox. If it worked for liberated slaves. It will work for you.
Work Work Work Work Work Work
Even Riri knows that you work 6 and rest 1. You need a break. Sabbath was a created looking forward not backward. They had had no days off. No one got any days off it was 24/7. Sabbath came about as God liberated the children of Israel from slavery. We desperately need an exodus today, an exodus from allowing work into the family home. An exodus from the mental slavery we are experiencing that is destroying our lives.
Fence It
Over time Sabbath changed because the world changed. What people need changes, things have to adapt. People placed rules on Sabbath, my personal favorite, which would never get passed in London. They banned the hurried walk of work on the Sabbath.
The Goal is to protect serenity. So whatever fences you decide to put up to protect your day of rest, decide how pliable you will be on certain things. If you end up going mental over it, it kinda defeats the point.
Q. What fences do you need to put up what will protect the serenity in your life?
It Isn’t enough to remove something…
Ban something…
You have to replace it with a greater treasure… I have a two-year-old, I can’t just tell her – Rest, protect the Serenity…
I have to be intentional. That means talking with my wife. Then as a family map out what we want Sabbath to look like.
Q. What ceases?
Q. What do you replace it with?
Q. What fence do you need?
Q. How pliable are you going to be?
Celebrate
Take time to celebrate the little things. Every week amazing things happen all around us, but we don’t believe those things are worth celebrating. Often we fail to celebrate because we compare what has happened with someone else’s life. They celebrate far more significant achievements, so I won’t celebrate this it feels stupid.
Problem is you may never achieve what they will, so are you going to never celebrate for the rest of your life?
Celebration makes life worth living and takes away so much stress. It makes it all worthwhile… Celebrate weekly together with family and whoever else you choose.
One of my favorite Sundays at CityHill is where we celebrate a volunteer. Once every 3 months, we say thank you to someone who gives there time to help CityHill London achieve its mission. I mean, wow, that people choose to serve is amazing. But celebrating them for it is even better. Lifts everyone’s spirits.
Who do you need to celebrate this week? Spring a surprise on them. Help heal their bones, it is time to stop the rot. We can help others find rest. Share the Sabbath celebration.