Overcoming Self-dependence
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” (Exodus 20:8, NKJV).
This is the fourth of the ten commandments given by God to the Israelites as part of the Mosaic Law. Sabbath means “day of rest” in Hebrew, and the Israelites were forbidden to work on this sacred day.
We are no longer strictly under the covenant of the laws given in the Old Testament, as we are made free through Christ’s atonement for us. However, it is noticeable that out of the ten commandments, the Sabbath is often treated to be in a different category and often forgotten about. For example, we will not dispute that we should still observe the first commandment:
“You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3, NKJV). Or the eighth commandment: “You shall not steal” (Exodus 20:15, NKJV).
Each of the commandments in Exodus 20 is still relevant as a guide in knowing what we should and should not do as Christians. So why do we overlook or dismiss the fourth commandment of keeping the Sabbath?
Although we are no longer under the Mosaic law, is the Sabbath still a command we should strive to keep? Is there an exception made for the Sabbath under the New Covenant when Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27, ESV)?
This article does not intend to address such questions but rather to make a biblical case that the concept of the Sabbath is still relevant and necessary today in our Christian lives. And this applies regardless of our views on whether or not keeping a dedicated day of Sabbath is an absolute command.
Society today puts a lot of emphasis on working, hustling and achievements. We are encouraged to constantly be productive and to boast about the accomplishments we’ve obtained through our hard work. While there is nothing wrong with working towards specific goals, something is wrong if we work without acknowledging God and His sovereignty over our lives. Rather than maintaining an obsession with working and productivity, we can choose to observe regular periods of rest in the midst of our busyness.
We know the ability to work is a gift from God from the very beginning, as demonstrated in His placement of Adam in the Garden of Eden to look after it.
Gen 2:15, NIV: The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.Just like work, rest is also a gift from God, and our labours are worthless if we don’t intentionally rest in His presence. A mindset of self-dependency develops when we constantly work by relying on our abilities and skills to succeed. Choosing to rest in His presence acknowledges we are God-dependent and that everything we do is for His glory. As we are encouraged in 1 Corinthians 10:31, ESV: So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
The gift of work and rest highlights that while we are not under the same Sabbath obligations commanded to the Israelites, observing rest is still necessary to allow God to work in and through us. As God’s handiwork, our accomplishments are only possible because God enables us to do so, and part of acknowledging this reality is through taking intentional rest.
Ephesians 2:10, NIV: For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Furthermore, our efforts are in vain if they are not done in alignment with God’s will for us. God has a plan for each of us, and building a relationship with Him is needed to receive wisdom on pursuing and fulfilling these plans. Scripture indicates that for our plans to succeed, we should develop an awareness that God steers the direction of the work we are best placed to do. Surrendering our plans to Him is part of this process.
Proverbs 16:3, ESV: Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.
Proverbs 16:9, ESV: The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.
Resting in God’s presence reminds us of our motivations; it restores our strength and refreshes our soul.
Overwork and burnout are common in a world that celebrates productivity and making the most of every minute of our day. The mindset is often; the more we can make the most of our time, the more we can achieve and the greater our success. Christians can be set apart from this mindset by realising we can only prosper with the Lord if we have Him guiding us in whatever we are doing.
Psalm 127:1-2, NLT highlights the futility of our labours if it is pursued without God’s support:
Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good. It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.
In the gospels, Jesus gives us an example of balancing work and rest. Jesus probably had the most reason never to stop working; the whole world’s burden was literally on His shoulders. Wherever He went, He taught people, counselled them, healed them and fellowshipped with them. Yet on many occasions, Jesus took the time to rest and to spend time with the Father. There are several references throughout the gospels of Jesus, often withdrawing for prayer and rest, illustrating an example we should follow in our present-day labours.Luke 5:15-16, NIV: Yet the news about him spread all the more so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
If Jesus needed this form of rest, then so do we. His examples highlight the importance of accepting God’s gift and invitation to rest. Resting in God’s presence reminds us of our motivations; it restores our strength and refreshes our soul. No matter how busy life gets, intentionally withdrawing like Jesus did to find rest in God’s presence gives us a space to build our relationship with Him. God is our source of life, we need Him to sustain us, and He is the reason we can work in the first place. I’ve come to realise everything I can do is only by God enabling me to do so, and part of acknowledging this reality is through taking time to pause and reflect on His goodness.
In contrast, working without intentional rest in God’s presence indicates we are reliant on our abilities, and we believe what we achieve is through our efforts. We must reject depending on ourselves and recognise we need to be God-dependent to accomplish good work. Accepting God’s invitation to rest displays obedience and allows God to take all the glory. Resting is recognition of our complete surrender to God and His purpose for us.
In whatever work we do, we are encouraged to do so in servitude of God. We are reminded in Colossians 3:23-24 (ESV): Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
However, despite our call to rest, it should be distinct from inactivity and laziness. Resting is not a reason to lie back in the false anticipation that things will happen by themselves. God needs to work through us, so we should not use rest as an excuse for constant idleness. We are cautioned in Proverbs 21:25, NLT: Despite their desires, the lazy will come to ruin, for their hands refuse to work.
We are built for work and should delight in our God-given ability to do so. However, we must also be willing to work so God can work through us. Finding harmony between work and intentional rest is an attitude we can cultivate by studying God’s Word and following the examples we see in Jesus throughout the gospels.
Finally, realise that resting in God’s presence is part of His eternal plan for His children. Our works do not earn us salvation, and only through the sacrifice of Jesus are we saved from ourselves. Jesus did all the work for us when He declared, “It is finished” (John 19:30, ESV), and only through this can we enter into God’s eternal rest. Placing our trust in Jesus and accepting the free gift of eternal life is the greatest example of how to encounter that rest.
Hebrews 4:9-11, NIV: There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.
Knowing that God intends for us to rest in His presence forevermore should encourage us to accept His invitation for regular rest amid our current labours. Whatever that may look like, let the Holy Spirit lead you in balancing your time of work and rest.
Summary
We can Remember the Sabbath by remembering the God-given gift of work is balanced with the gift of rest. Resting in God’s presence acknowledges His sovereignty, as He does not need us to work any harder than we need to. Through the help of the Holy Spirit, we can develop an attitude of being God-dependent rather than relying on our self-dependence to achieve good work. After working, rest, and let God take care of the ‘rest’.
