Our Month of Sabbath...

What is Sabbath? Sabbath is the biblical principle to rest. Sabbath was first introduced in the Old Testament in Genesis Chapter 2 when the Lord took rest on the seventh day. “Thus the heavens and earth were completed in all their vast array. By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.” Genesis 2:1-3 (NIV). Historically, the Sabbath was originally observed on Saturday, but Christians would later choose Sunday as their Sabbath and day of worship as it would align with the Resurrection. The purpose of this blog isn’t to give you a history lesson but to highlight the necessity of Sabbath. With Fostering Futures being completely run by volunteers that means we all work full-time jobs and have families and households to manage in addition to serving Fostering Futures. This sometimes doesn’t leave much room to practice Sabbath, at least not in a mainstream way. While we try to practice or implement Sabbath each week, even if for a few hours, sometimes that isn’t always the case. For the most part, Saturdays and Sundays are when the Fostering Futures team and board are serving the organization, the kids, and our community. Prior to launching, the group discussed at length the importance of a Sabbath or effectively a Sabbatical, not only as a biblical principle but also its importance for the organization's sustainability, as well as our mental health and well-being to avoid burnout. Therefore, we have designated July, the seventh month, as Fostering Futures’ Sabbath period.

We choose to lead with a servant’s heart and mentality in all capacities within this organization. In order to serve and serve to the best of our ability, we have to rest as well. It goes back to the old adage before you can take care of everyone else, you must first take care of yourself. The practice of resting, and we mean truly resting, is a time we can use to reflect, to rest our mind, body, and spirits, but also use it as a time to renew and restore ourselves, our walk with Jesus, and time with our families. This time away will also allow us to come back with restored spirits, clearer minds, focused energies, and brighter visions, which will then allow us to be better servants. The below passage from The Bible Project truly describes the Sabbath in such a beautiful and eloquent way that there was no way we could do it justice if we were to rewrite it ourselves.

“When followers of Jesus observe the Sabbath, we live as if this restoration has already taken place. We take a break from the broken rhythms of hustle and hardship to set aside a time to honor Jesus’ rule, enjoy his presence, and extend rest to the world around us. When we trust God’s invitation to come to him and truly rest, we become places where his presence can dwell.

As followers of Jesus, God does not expect us to live by Israel’s laws. However, the wisdom of these laws remains, and the law of the Sabbath is rich with significance for us today. Sabbath is not a commandment we are bound to; it’s a promise we’re invited to enjoy.”

With this ending passage, we encourage everyone to reflect on what their Sabbath looks like, to carve that space of rest out for yourselves, and to lean on the Lord to renew and restore. We leave you with Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV), “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

We’ll see you all in August.