Messy Monday: Use Your Saturdays!

Image by One Pretty Thing

“You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but on the seventh day you must stop working.” (Exodus 23:12, NLT).

A light bulb went off when I read this verse the other day. For so long, I’ve been ingrained in the 5-day workweek. Five days on, two days off. I worked it for years, and now that I’m home, I still abide by it. Sure, I do a little work on Saturday, but for the most part, I look at it as a leisure day--my day off. Perhaps you view it the same way.

What if we didn’t? What if we looked at our week as six days of work, with only one day off (Sunday), instead of two? How much more productive would we be? How much more would we enjoy and truly savor our day of rest?

So this Saturday, I set out to go about my day just like I do Monday through Friday. The routine was a little looser, but I still accomplished the usual daily work. It actually felt kind of good to have more structure on Saturday. I am really enjoying resting on Sunday.

The drawback of using Saturday as another workday is less leisure time with our families. My husband (also on a day off) told me he felt like he hadn’t spent much quality time with me the whole day. So balance is called for. Take lots of breaks to visit with your spouse. If you want to take the entire day off for family fun, go for it. But if you want to use the bulk of your Saturday to get some work done (and save the family fun for Sunday), you’ll enjoy the increased productivity—and you’ll really enjoy a day of rest!

Do you use your Saturdays for work or play, or a little of both?

If you have a Messy Monday tip for getting it together, please link to your homemaking post. As a courtesy, please link back to Moms In Need of Mercy. I will leave links open for 24 hours. Have a great day!

A Modern-Day Sabbath Rest Revisited

"Also I gave them my Sabbaths as a sign between us, so they would know that I the Lord made them holy." (Ezekiel 20:12)

This week I was reading in Ezekiel 20 about God's anger against the Israelites because they "utterly desecrated my Sabbaths," (v. 13). Over and over again, God tells Ezekiel to tell Israel that one of the reasons He was not bringing them into the "most beautiful of all lands" (flowing with milk and honey) was "because they rejected my laws and did not follow my decrees and desecrated my Sabbaths.  For their hearts were devoted to their idols (v. 16)."

Later, verse 32 says, "You say, 'We want to be like the nations, like the peoples of the world, who serve wood and stone.'"

While in Christ, we are no longer under the law, how we observe (or don't observe) the Sabbath still says a lot about what our hearts are devoted to. Are we still living like the Israelites--wanting to be like the people of the world who reject God's laws, do not follow His decrees, and desecrate His Sabbaths? This was all because their hearts were devoted to their idols. 

A study note in my Bible on this passage says:

"The Sabbath, instituted by God at creation, was entrusted to Israel as a sign that God had created and redeemed them. This day of rest was a gift from a loving God, not a difficult obligation. But the people repeatedly desecrated the Sabbath and ignored their God. It was meant to be a memory device but they ignored it. Today, many Christians celebrate the Lord's Day, Sunday, as their Sabbath. Whatever the day, we must be careful to fulfill God's purpose for the Sabbath. He wants us to rest, to refocus, and to remember Him."

Taking time out for the Sabbath sets a beautiful tone for the week ahead if we let it.

So how are you spending this Sunday? I'd love to hear from you!

A Modern-Day Sabbath Rest

Aren't Sundays wonderful, really? You get to have a peaceful, relaxing, quiet morning with your husband and children, and then calmly get yourself and the kids ready, dressed in their Sunday best; the clothes stay crisp and clean through breakfast and everyone arrives early to church in great moods. What, this doesn't happen at your house? Oh wait, mine neither! But despite our shortcomings and the stress of getting there, attending a Bible-believing church and fellowshipping with our brothers and sisters in Christ always refreshes my Spirit.

While observing the Sabbath rest in its strict sense is no longer required since we are under grace, it is still a command of God and just in general, a good idea. You've probably come across studies that find taking time for leisure is good for your heart, good for your relationships, good for your mind, good for your spirit. God knew that. That's why He said, "Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work..." (Exodus 20:9,10) As Jesus Himself said, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath." (Mark 2:27)

So the question I want to explore is--what does observing the Sabbath or taking a Sabbath rest look like in your home? As I write this, my husband is out mowing the lawn--definitely taboo according to the way I was raised. Many in my family of origin would never dare to eat out on a Sunday because that caused others to work. Movies, the mall? No way. Some friends said they couldn't even ride their bikes on Sundays. Hmmm....

Think of how often Jesus--the Fulfiller of the Law--offended the "experts of God's law" in his day. Those experts of the law are still around today, aren't they? You can't do this on Sunday, you can't do that. On the opposite extreme are those who fail to observe any kind of a Sabbath rest at all, and they miss out--their spirit misses out--because of it. (For the record, we ran to the mall and also out to eat after church today, but I didn't find it restful for my spirit at all and it won't be a common occurence in our family).

I read once that the Puritans worked hard to clean their houses and do all their meal preparations on Saturday so they could rest and enjoy the day Sunday. This appeals to me. Something rejuvenating happens in your spirit when you deliberately don't do what duty tells you to do. Like dishes:) But the freedom to enjoy the leisure comes because you know you are not being lazy; you have worked hard all week and you have earned the right to rest from your labor, and you know that God Himself ordains this rest and blesses it should you choose to observe it.

So how do you observe the Sabbath rest? Generally I try to go light on cooking and dishes (which I fall behind on during the week anyway!); I avoid doing laundry; I try not to go to the grocery store (although it would be convenient since my husband is home and I could go without kids, but there's Saturday, right?); I don't pick up the house much, which makes for a very messy Monday, but hey.

So what do we do with all that extra leisure time? We have time to have more extended phone conversations with our parents and siblings. We try to go for a bike ride or a family walk. Sometimes we take naps. (Usually this is interrupted or prevented altogether by the little people we call our children!) :) We can extend hospitality to those in need (sometimes even just listening and talking to a lonely neighbor who you may not have much time for during a busy week). I think the point Jesus made was to be sure to spend time with God. Worship. Read. Pray. Then spend time with others--your family, your friends, those who need your help. And don't forget to spend some solitary time refreshing your own spirit and fueling up in the Lord for your week ahead. I think taking a Sabbath rest is where you find that strength. (And the Holy Spirit refuels you throughout the week as you read God's Word and pray).

I'm done; it's your turn! I would love to hear what you do and don't do on the Sabbath, and why. Blessings for the week ahead!