That\u2019s not just playing with words. It\u2019s the truth.<\/span><\/p>\n The Sabbath keeps me from being on a treadmill of activity 24\/7.<\/span><\/p>\n The Sabbath used to keep my mind off work for a day. Now that I am retired, I don\u2019t have to think so much about problems at work and money-earning… but there is still a lot to be done to keep the show on the road: a home to be maintained, shopping to be done, arrangements to be made; obligations; expectations; worries.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The Sabbath allows a reset.<\/span><\/p>\n That has a knock-on effect.<\/strong><\/p>\n One is that it keeps me from greedy consumerism. It keeps me away for a while from the lure of attractive websites and out of retail shops. The Sabbath means I do not shop till I drop.<\/span><\/p>\n That has a knock-on effect.<\/strong><\/p>\n I realise that having more stuff may block my emotional aches and pains for a while, but it does not really make me happy. If my mind is not focused on acquiring more stuff, then it has a little energy left to think about other things. That could be the real needs of friends and family. Just as important, it could be sorting out a bit what my own priorities in life are for now. It could be that if I sort myself out a bit, I don\u2019t have to burden others so much with my own nonsense.<\/span><\/p>\n That has a knock-on effect.<\/strong><\/p>\n It means healthier relationships and a reduced likelihood of stress in the family. As we slow down, we can have a little time to do that serious talking and caring which we may never otherwise quite get to. If you give your family some time, you give them a chance.<\/span><\/p>\n That has a knock-on effect.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n If I consume less, if I am not consumed with anxieties, I can do my small part in keeping this wonderful, fragile planet of ours in better condition. Every time you see the havoc caused by a freak weather event, you are reminded that we are spoiling the earth and need to consume less. It\u2019s what my grandchildren expect of me.<\/span><\/p>\n \u2018Knock-on effects\u2019 \u2013 that\u2019s partly what keeping the Sabbath is about. Taking a regular pause from the relentless cycle of modern life is a healthy thing to do. It helps you to breathe. The Sabbath trickles into everything, every day of the week. Sabbath rest is part of the rhythm of a healthy life cycle.<\/strong> It helps you keep things in proportion. It helps you know where you are. It\u2019s more about being than having.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n And there inevitably comes a day after you have been on the treadmill of life for a while when you start to ask the \u2018What\u2019s it really all about?<\/em>\u2019 question. The Sabbath can give you some perspective on where you are, where you\u2019ve been and where you\u2019re going. It\u2019s like a hilltop which allows you to see into the distance. And, of course, it raises the God question. Is God there? Does God care? What\u2019s God doing? What\u2019s God like? What\u2019s it to do with me?<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n There\u2019s nothing clever about keeping the Sabbath. There are no ‘brownie points’ on offer. You don\u2019t achieve anything. That\u2019s the whole point.<\/strong><\/p>\n The Sabbath slowly builds up your inner strength so that you can resist the strong pressures we are all under nowadays. It helps build up your resistance to diseases of the mind and spirit. Of course, it\u2019s not all straightforward. It\u2019s not magic. But each Sabbath is a step towards maintaining balance in life. It helps us to filter out all the false messages which bombard us daily.<\/span><\/p>\n So let the Sabbath keep you! Join the resistance movement!<\/span><\/p>\n Mike Pearson gave 42 years of ministry at Newbold College of Higher Education, serving at various times as Head of Theological\u00a0Studies; as Director of the MA Education and Leadership programmes; and for a time as vice-Principal. On retirement he was appointed Principal Lecturer Emeritus.<\/em><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/shutterstock_221955361-scaled-e1666282386833.jpg\")
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