Christian Parenting - Spiritual Formation in the Family PART 3 - Sabbath Rest

Have you ever thought about the significance of the Sabbath?  In a fast-paced culture our children and our families never have time to slow down and reflect on what is truly important.  But God says in Exodus 31:13,

‘You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the Lord, who makes you holy.'

The Sabbath is about teaching our children where true holiness originates and how it is passed on to humanity.


The Sabbath is a time to rest and remember that what we do and what we don't do isn't a marker of our holiness, rather what God does for us is our source of holiness.  Are your children learning to rest in God's completed work, in his salvation?  This is why our family takes one day each week to rest.  Every Friday, I take the day off and we spend it as a family.  Sometimes we hike, at other times we walk along the beach, or read. But we always spend time as a family and we use that time to teach our children about God, from the time we rise until the time we sleep.

(All ordinary work is suspended - chores, email, cooking, etc.  If it is a normally part of your job, then you are released from it and someone else in the family does it, or it just doesn't get done.  Mostly, it doesn't get done.  But that is hard with cooking, because everyone wants to eat.  But the kids love to cook or help on our Sabbaths.  Why?  Because these things don't make us holy, or even good, but we don't believe it.  )

While I would love for every day to be like this, the truth is that life is too fast.  And while we seek to make our family life one of worship every day, I am assured that at least once a week, my children will get solid training in Christ, in addition to the other things we are teaching.  Maybe you can't take a day off during the week. Can you set aside Sunday as a day of rest and use it to build upon all your church is teaching?  Can you avoid your work, shopping and other must do tasks for one day, in order to train your children in the source of holiness?  Yes you can, and it will be countercultural, but it will be worth it.

Begin simply.  Choose a day each week and inform everyone that no work is to be done.  Anything which normally takes your focus off of Christ is to suspended.  This means no homework, no email, no computers, no television or sports, etc.  Then start with simply having time together in God's natural world.  You will be amazed at the questions and the opportunities that arise naturally to teach God's grace.  Then as the habit is cemented in your family week, seek God and ask him what else to add into the day in order to train up your children in the way they should go.

For those wondering if it is possible to do what I have described above, the answer is yes.  We have been practicing a Sabbath day every Friday since 2002 and I will never trade it away.  To God be the glory!