#39 – Workin’ for the Weekend

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This is the SECOND installment in what I’m calling: “Uh – I don’t think so.” examining mis-held assumptions that cause discontentment.

Sabbath

The first time we moved to France, one of the things that struck me was their calendar. The French view Sunday as the 7th day of the week, calendars are laid out as Monday through Sunday (OK – lundi through dimanche).

This made sense to my logical brain. Of course! We call Saturday & Sunday the ‘week-end’ so it should be the /end of the week/. We treat Sat-Sun like a set so why break them up visually on the calendar. We work five days to earn two days off. “Everybody’s working for the weekend” after all. {if I just put the 1981 hit song in your head where it is going to live rent-free for the rest of the day…you’re welcome }This timing issue was one of the most recent pieces to fall in my mis-understanding of sabbath. One of our team-mates in Burundi once pointed out how he loves the week starting on Sunday – starting with sabbath. We don’t earn it – we start with this gift.


Sabbath is not a reward for our hard work. Sabbath is a reminder that we don’t earn what we have. It’s a reminder to rest in God, in his care. It’s a chance to say: 
I don’t deserve what I have, 
so I don’t earn what I get, It’s all a gift 
I’m not in control,
so if I take ‘the day off’ it won’t all go sideways. 
If I stop from my labor, it won’t all fall apart. 


My work is not the indispensable piece holding my world together.So I switched my calendars back, Sunday is now the first day of the week. I try to see it as a gift, not a reward. 
It’s a reminder that if I stop working God doesn’t – which reminds me whose work is really more important.

DO THIS

This coming Sunday – try to conceive of the day as a gift to start the week – not a reward for the previous week. Imagine Sunday as a day of rest – that you can take because the world’s functioning does not depend on you, it depends on God.

Make it a true Sabbath rest (however you choose to do that) – but ensure you imagine it as given, not earned. 

PRAY THIS

Creator God who worked,
and then rested.
You have called us to work,
and you have called us to rest.
Give us true Sabbath rest. 
True, deep, contented rest.
Amen