In our fast-paced society, it’s difficult to imagine a whole day devoted to rest. But, if it was important enough for God to include when he created the world, it might just be something we should pay attention too!
Practicing a family sabbath will look different in every household. Even within the same family, it will most likely change and evolve through various seasons of life.
But, incorporating a day of rest into your family’s schedule can be one of the most important things you do. It provides for rare and precious time together, away from the distractions and stress of the daily routine.
Practicing a family sabbath can be a source of peace and joy for today’s busy families.
On the other hand, actually making that day a reality can be extremely challenging! While there is no perfect “one size fits all” solution, I’ve found the following tips helpful for our family.
Tips for a successful family sabbath…
Get the whole family on board.
Sit down with the entire family and talk about what you’re planning and why you believe it’s important.
Be enthusiastic, make it fun, and don’t forget to consider everyone’s ideas and opinions.
Pick a day that works best for the entire family.
Ideally, your family’s sabbath would fall on your day of worship. But that might not work for every family situation.
It’s more important to choose the least busy day of the week, than to get hung up on what actual day of the week that is! Think about days off work, sports schedules, church activities, and volunteer responsibilities.
It will be challenging to find an available day, but refuse to accept that it’s impossible!
Putting a good amount of thought into the process beforehand will make it easier to actually follow through with your plans.
Worship together.
If your family’s day of rest falls on Sunday, try to worship together. Attend the same service whenever possible. Make time to discuss the topic that was presented or any highlights from the service.
If your family sabbath doesn’t happen on Sunday, find a way to still focus on God and his word. Whether it’s listening to your favorite worship song or having a family devotion, that time will help set the tone for your day.
Include one fun activity that everyone can look forward to.
Whether it’s a game night, movie night, outside activity, or dinner out, start a tradition that sets the day apart from the rest of the week. Make it something everyone will enjoy.
Consider letting each member of the family have a turn in choosing the movie/restaurant/activity.
In our family, we rotate who picks the game or movie on Sunday nights. We keep record on a notepad and each person always looks forward to his/her turn.
Plan your weekly schedule with family sabbath in mind.
I plan out what days I will do laundry, pay bills, make grocery lists, and go shopping so those things won’t need to be completed on rest day.
I do my best to stick to the schedule and work hard during the week, so I don’t feel guilty when I’m trying to relax.
Help your kids plan out their week too.
Encourage your children to complete their homework or any other responsibilities before your family’s day of rest. This not only helps keep them accountable, but also teaches valuable skills about time-management and work ethic.
If your kids have daily chores, allow them a pass on your family sabbath. Our girls love getting to skip their chores for a day and look forward to it the entire week!
Keep the family sabbath day meals simple.
Plan ahead to have an easy meal on hand (pizza, sandwiches, a pre-prepared dish, ect.).
I have a friend with older children and their family has agreed everyone is responsible for their own dinner on their family’s rest day. Each person chooses a reasonable option from the fridge or freezer which allows the chef of the house to have that day off.
Turn off the screens.
Quality family time doesn’t happen when everyone is tuned in to different devices.
Set up boundaries that work for your family, but focus on being together and enjoying each other without distractions. You may even find that laying down the devices for a few hours brings a certain kind of freedom!
Intentionally plan activities on other days.
This is a tricky one, especially if you have older kids involved in multiple activities.
But your day of rest will never happen if you’re traveling around to a dozen different events. Make a habit of planning extra-curricular activities around your rest day.
This might mean avoiding a league that consistently plays on that day or being more strategic when planning birthday parties.
Things will come up that can’t be rescheduled or moved around—don’t let that stop you from implementing a day of rest.
Read “The Importance of Rest“ for the story behind our journey to take back our family sabbath.
My husband’s family always celebrates birthdays and holidays on Sunday evenings. They’ve had this tradition since long before we were married and because of his family’s size, it’s the only day that works for everyone.
But since it’s also the only day that works as our rest day, we just go with it. Several times a year, we go to their house on Sunday evenings.
Your family sabbath doesn’t have to be perfect or always look the same to still be beneficial.
Don’t give up on your family sabbath.
Distractions will come. The week will not go as planned.
Tasks will stack up, begging to be completed on the day you’ve set aside to do nothing. Make a commitment BEFORE you start that you won’t fall back into the habit of working seven days every week.
And give yourself some grace when the day doesn’t look like you hoped.
Reevaluate when necessary.
Make time every so often to talk with your spouse or entire family about your family sabbath. Evaluate what’s working and what may need improvement.
Be flexible and make changes that benefit everyone.
Celebrate your victories.
Recognize you’re tackling a difficult goal. In today’s fast-paced culture, the idea of taking an entire day to unplug and unwind seems unimaginable.
Believe in what you’re doing, celebrate any progress you make, and enjoy seeing the benefits of a day focused on rest and family time.
The rewards of a family sabbath will be seen for years to come…
While incorporating a day of rest into your family’s schedule may be incredibly challenging, the benefits make it all worthwhile.
Priorities are realigned, relationships are strengthened, and stress decreases. Families become stronger by simply following the plan God designed from the very beginning.
