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“Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God; you shall not do any work” (Exodus 20:8-10).
Your rest day may be something other than Sunday. But the principle is that you intentionally set aside a specific time to rest. Once you’ve decided on your work and rest hours, create a system for making decisions around your time. Calendaring is a skill that can serve you in many areas of your life. What is important to highlight here is that your scheduled time off is on your calendar. Treat your appointments with yourself no differently than you would treat your appointments with others.
Put away your phone and laptop. If someone interrupts, tell them you’ll get back to them at another time or how they can reach you in the meantime. And then you get right back to resting. Your time off is an appointment with yourself and with God. It is holy time that honors you, the people around you and your Creator.
This message is excerpted from “Five steps for creating rest in a world of busyness” by Crystal L. Hall in the January 2024 Café online magazine.