Resting Well As A Church Leader

For many new to church leadership, the idea of “resting well” can seem silly at first. Doesn’t spending time learning “how to rest” or “why to rest” sort of defeat the purpose? Why would we want to put extra thought or effort into our few moments of rest and relaxation? Our days are hectic enough already. Isn’t the whole point of “the Sabbath” to stop working so hard for a while? Isn’t Sabbath just another word for a church leader’s day off?

Well, when we are honest with ourselves, we already know the answers to these questions. There is a profound difference between resting well and resting poorly. One needs only to think back to a day off spent binging on TV and fast food to know that not all “rest” is actually beneficial to us. Additionally, we all know what it’s like for rest to blow on by. Without realizing it, we’ve let our to-do-lists, teaching prep, pastoral meetings, and “things in need of fixing” stack up so much during the week, that we have no other choice but to spend our Sabbath focused on productivity and efficiency.

While unfortunate, this shouldn’t be a surprise. Truly resting well doesn’t come naturally to any of us. Even if we understand that working on a Sunday doesn’t exempt us from the need to Sabbath (which is true), rarely will we honor God in our rest as we should. Our tendency to rest poorly is actually part of being sinful and imperfect. That’s why, if we are to truly “remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8-11), we are going to need some help. We are going to need a change of heart.

Thankfully, we serve a God who understands our temptations and tendencies better than we do. That is one of the reasons the Bible talks so much about rest. God knows, left to our own devices, we will not do it well.

As it turns out, our hearts don’t just need a break from work or ministry, they need real rest. Rest that doesn’t actually drain us, get interrupted by the need to be productive, or descend into laziness and apathy. When God asks for us to Sabbath, he isn’t only wanting our bodies to recharge physically, he wants us to find real rest in him. When God asks for us to Sabbath, he desires more than us just ignoring our email for the day. God himself is supposed to be the source of our rest. And it will be by communing with, feasting with, fasting with, and praying to this God that we actually experience it.

This Sabbath rest isn’t only supposed to help us recover from over-working or give us the energy to make it to another Sunday. When Jesus says that the “Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath,” (Mark 2:27) he reminds us that this time of rest is a gift. It is actually part of what it means to live the Christian life and be a church leader! It’s not legalistic, based on rules and regulations, or tiresome and boring. But it will involve slowing things down, taking time seriously, and filling every moment with truly good things.

So, what does this new way of resting actually look like? Be warned, at first, it can feel counter-intuitive, uncomfortable, or even a waste of time. But be assured, adding a bit of intentionality and thought to your time off will ultimately make you more like Jesus.

5 Ways to Help Make the Sabbath Truly Restful

1. Spend Time with Jesus

Communion with Jesus is absolutely essential to finding true rest, because when we fail to set time aside for prayer and reading Scripture, we are forgetting the very source of life (John 14:6). What’s more, we cannot allow “leading a team”, “serving in ministry”, or even “pastoring a church” check the box for our spiritually sustenance. God wants us to daily devote to knowing him more fully and that doesn’t somehow cease when we are “Sabbathing.” Consider coordinating a set time on your day of rest for communing with Jesus, either by yourself or as a family. Even if praying and reading your Bible is part of your job, you cannot ignore your need for communion with Christ.

2. Turn Off Your Screens

Our cellphones and laptops give us the option to be constantly distracted, constantly productive, and constantly consuming. And while some of these things may be necessary to lead effectively, none of these them are compatible with true Sabbath rest. In order to slow down, focus on Jesus, and actually fill ourselves back up, we are going to need to cease the endless refreshing of email and social media. Find a time where you will commit to being without your phone and keeping the TV off. It will be weird at first, but you will find more fulfilling means of communicating and consuming.

3. Cook and Enjoy a Good Meal

There is a reason that Jesus spent so much time around meals. He knows that community and conversation naturally gravitate toward good food. Our Sabbath days should be the same. Resting well means thinking and caring about our physical bodies. A day off filled with relaxation, great conversation, and intimacy with the Lord, can still prove unrestful if all you eat is fast food. The next time you have a day to slow down, consider spending time in the kitchen with friends or family. If you don’t know how to cook, try something easy or ask someone to teach you. Making a meal doesn’t have to be labor intensive for it to be incredibly worthwhile. The end result will fill up more than just your stomach.

4. Spend Time Outside

The natural world is an incredible gift, but it’s easy for our rest to be completely detached from it. The comfort of air conditioning, couches, and televisions make staying inside feel all too tempting. However, if you are wanting a Sabbath to feel truly restful, try spending some amount of it outside. Go on a walk or a picnic. Find a trail you can explore with friends. Watch a sunset or listen to the birds. Pray or listen to Scripture while taking a bike ride. God crafted our world with beauty so that we might appreciate and give thanks to him. Stepping outside gives you a chance to cherish God’s good gifts.

5. Get Some Sleep

It’s possible to have too much of a good thing. Don’t let staying up too late counteract all your rest. As the Sabbath comes to a close, be diligent to protect your sleep. If you feel the pressure to prepare for tomorrow, or worry about the next church event, remember that tomorrow will have enough problems of its own (Matthew 6:34). Whatever practices you put into place for your Sabbath don’t turn them off at 8PM. Continue to let rest, communion with Jesus, and thoughtfulness define your whole day of rest.

As you contemplate resting well, remember that the Sabbath is ultimately about Jesus. When we commune with God, it is his rest that we enter into (Hebrew 4:9-10). So, as you seek to rest, recharge, or relax, know that true restoration doesn’t come from a set of activities or from avoiding hard work. True restoration comes from Jesus.

Taking the Sabbath more seriously will eventually transform the rest of your week and prepare you more fully for ministry. When you understand how you can benefit from a rhythm of work and rest, you will start wanting to apply these things to the rest of your life as well. The Sabbath must not just be something we teach or preach about. It must be something we live out.

Additional Resources

For more on the topic of Sabbath and resting well, check out this message from Kyle Kaigler on how the Sabbath is God’s Solution to the Addition of Busyness.