Greetings, I’m SFC (Ret) George Shafer. I served as Chaplain at the American Legion in Guthrie, Oklahoma while earning my M.Div. I’m now the Digital Media Pastor for Generations Church in Guthrie. It’s a great Christian community.
As Veterans, we share an ethos that guide our decisions, ethics and moral compass. Concepts like timeliness, integrity, courage and selfless service. We learned the value of hard work and its positive impact on our organization, mission and fellow service members. But we often struggle with balancing these proactive values with the concept rest. When we take time to stop and rest, it can be followed by underlying guilt, even shame. We are culturally driven to do the work, to grind it out, no time off, even at the expense of neglecting those we care about. So, how do we avoid these consequences?
There is an amazing alignment between the science of health and wellness and the teachings in scripture concerning the need for rest, it’s called Sabbath. The same root word as sabbatical. The Sabbath is a staple of the Judeo-Christian culture, yet we witness daily the results of ignoring its benefits. Exhaustion, worry, anxiety, feeling overwhelmed, quick tempers, damaged relationships, work burnout, addictions and others are symptoms of our overworked and under rested lifestyles.
We were created in God’s image and likeness. We were made to rest. We were made to stop. We were made to meditate on God. Just reading those three sentences may make you cringe or laugh on the inside. “George, you don’t know my schedule.” “You don’t understand the pressure I’m under.” “I need to feed my family.” All valid points, but all too often these people arrive at jobs, even to church, burnt out, full of contempt and bitterness, going through the motions. Now more than ever we need to seek peace, joy, and contentment. These are three fantastic byproducts of the Sabbath, if we’ll only embrace and practice it!
Yes, adhering to the Sabbath is difficult. Attempting your first 24-hour Sabbath will likely be a rehearsal of all that you forgot to do! But it is through this challenge that the fruits of the Sabbath are revealed. Honoring the Sabbath requires you to schedule around it. Early Hebrews understood the Sabbath to begin once the third star is seen in the night sky on Friday evening and concludes when the third star is observed on Saturday evening. It shows us that the Sabbath is not ritualistic as it varies from week to week when the stars are visible to us.
For five years I have intentionally practiced my Sabbath. It has helped me find a balance that has created a closer, more intimate relationship with God and my family. I am healthier, clear-headed, more patient, and more flexible with change. The Sabbath has given me peace, joy, and contentment, and has been an integral part of refreshing my mind, body, soul, and emotions.
Communication has been key to sustaining my Sabbath. In-depth and consistent communication with my wife, my family, my job, and my friends has helped create the space necessary to observe the Sabbath. It also gave unspoken permission for the people around me to observe the Sabbath in their own time.
Take time to focus on your own Sabbath, find rest for your soul. Christ shares this promise: Matt 11:28, Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Rev. George F. Shafer, SFC (Ret.), M.Div., B.S., Chaplain (TAL Post 58)
