We know the Bible talks about a Sabbath rest, but is it really possible in todays frenetic world? Wai Jia Tam shares how she learnt that the busier she was, the more important it was to take the time to meet with God.
“Are you kidding? If you want to survive here, you can’t do Sabbath!”
There I was, finally starting in the world’s best public health program at John’s Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in 2017, pursuing my master’s degree and coming face-to-face with reality at age 30. The weight of expectations sat heavy on my shoulders as I considered the scholarship boards that took a risk on me, a new mother starting an accelerated program.
How would I do this?
I squeezed appointments with professors in pockets of free time, nursing my baby in between lectures—hoping to arrive … somewhere. I hustled and strived to no avail. But God seemed to close all the doors. When all my colleagues were almost finished with their capstone projects, I had not even found one to embark on.
Yet, I felt the Lord speak to me, “Why don’t you spend time with Me?”
The words felt reminiscent of my call to become a Christian—as I prayed in a Buddhist temple at 18. Then, God had said, “I am not here, but outside this temple. Find me.” So I did, and since then, He’d radically transformed my life.
Yet, I felt the Lord speak to me, “Why don’t you spend time with Me?”
When my striving proved unfruitful in my academics, I finally gave in to God’s call. I began to spend an hour each Sunday praying and crying out to God. It felt useless, a waste of time even.
But every time I felt like spending more time studying or networking instead, Exodus 16:28–30 came to mind:
Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘How long will you refuse to keep my commands and my instructions? Bear in mind that the Lord has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Everyone is to stay where they are on the seventh day; no one is to go out.” So the people rested on the seventh day.
God provided supernaturally for the people of Israel, even for the seventh day. Where manna rotted after one day on all other days, God allowed manna on the sixth day to be preserved for the seventh too. He wants us to surrender when we feel time-pressed to do more on the day He claimed for rest. On our seventh day, we can likewise trust Him to provide the ideas, energy, and time we need for our lives, and thus, cease our striving.
On our seventh day, we can likewise trust Him to provide the ideas, energy, and time we need for our lives, and thus, cease our striving.
Every Sunday, as I spent time on my knees praying, I envisioned myself entering a place of intimacy with God. As I accessed His heart, I grew in clarity with what He was calling me to do. My frenzied striving crystallised into simple steps to take. In the couple months I practicing Sabbath, I accomplished more than in the previous six.
When the demands of work, parenting, and the responsibilities of daily living stack up, Genesis 2:2-3 tells us that God’s institution of rest is a holy and sacred part of Creation. Yet, we feel multiple tensions pulling at us daily and feel rest is simply impossible.
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Sabbath is not about time-efficiency; a Sabbath-seeking heart knows it’s an indulgent, unapologetic rest in God and trust in releasing what we think we need. Those conversations with Him are when we forge friendship, gaining an understanding of His ways and, thus, our God-given dreams and destinies.
When you feel like you have no time, it is exactly when you must make time. Your biggest breakthrough in fulfilling your deepest callings could be waiting for you there in His presence.
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