Finding Peace in an Anxious World: My Sabbath Experiment
I had never really practiced Sabbath before… until 4 weeks ago, that is. An intentional day of rest sounded intriguing, but never practical. How could I set aside work for an entire day? My never-ending to-do list surely did not approve.
But something in me snapped last month. You know when you’re so stressed that it starts showing up in your body? Well, it was a Thursday morning (when I should’ve been working). I was curled into a ball as it felt like my body revolted against me from the inside out. Six hours of cramps. When I wasn’t in pain, I was fast asleep, only to wake again when the pain increased just enough. It wasn’t the first time this had happened (though it was the most prolonged).
After the worst of it had passed, I laid in bed, weak and shaky, drinking electrolytes and whatever food I could stomach at the time. My husband, Aaron, sat next to me, the look on his face communicating more clearly than words ever could: If I could stop this from happening, I would.
Slowly, my energy returned. I turned to Aaron, “My body can’t handle this forever. I need to reduce my stress.”
That day felt like a wake up call.
So we began to brainstorm: What causes my stress and how can we mitigate it? As we talked through the specific scenarios I was stressed about, we noticed a common theme:
The less control I have in a given situation (even perceived control), the greater my stress.
And that’s a problem. Because if my stress hinges on control, I’ll be stressed for the rest of my life.
Life is full of people I can’t control, work environments I can’t control, governments I can’t control, natural disasters I can’t control, outcomes I can’t control…and the list goes on. I can have influence, though never complete control.
I can, however, control my response to the environments I find myself in. I can choose to trust God in the midst of pain, grief, and the unknown.
Of course, that’s so much easier said than done. “Trusting God” doesn’t just happen–I need a way to resist my natural tendencies of spiraling into anxiety or fear.
Maybe it sounds crazy, but Aaron and I decided that Sabbath might just be the answer.
Why Sabbath?
Sabbath is a weekly opportunity to pause. To not work. To not consume any media. To set aside the to-do list. To prove to myself that even when I stop, the world keeps spinning. To not just say that I surrender control and trust God to provide for my needs and guide the people in my life, but to actually live it out.
I’m only four weeks into this practice, so there’s a lot left to be learned. But I do know this: God clearly knew what He was doing when He instituted the Sabbath command for the Israelites a few thousand years ago. He understood the limitations of humans–how we are so easily tempted to work ourselves to the ground and to forget our dependence on Him.
A lot of people worry about Sabbath becoming legalistic. I get that. But we have to remember what Sabbath is. It is a gift from God to limited creatures who cannot constantly pour out from a dry well. We need rest, not just recreation (which we’re really good at)—deep, actual rest.
Practicing Sabbath is not about following a set of rules; it’s about accepting God’s gift and walking in His design. To quote Jesus himself, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27).
We live in such an anxious world. I know I’m not the only one who struggles in this way. This “Sabbath experiment” is my attempt to practice surrendering control and trusting God in the throes of life. And again, I’m only four weeks in… but overall, I’m less anxious. Every Sunday, I take SO. MANY. DEEP. BREATHS. My mind and body slow down in truly the best way. Not one Sabbath has been “perfect,” but they have been so, so good. It’s clear that this day of rest is a gift from God, and I don’t want to forfeit that gift.
So, I’m going to continue this “Sabbath experiment” — and maybe you’ll join me?
“It is in vain that you rise up early
and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
for he gives to his beloved sleep.”
~ Psalm 127:2