If you were truly wealthy or of a royal bloodline, like really in an elite class, you could afford to take a whole day off from busy agendas, demands and stress – EVERY WEEK! Imagine what it would be like if you we’re given the gift of a frequently repeating holiday that is truly free from all distractions and expectations to simply refocus on what matters most. We’re not talking about a dreamy AI created alternate reality. The Sabbath lifestyle is a way of life that God want’s you to embrace. Way beyond that special long planned and well executed vacation, this should be on your calendar as a recurring event for the rest of your life.
GET RADICAL WITH A SABBATH LIFESTYLE
Travis West, author of The Sabbath Way – Making Room in Your Life for Rest, Connection, and Delight (Tyndale | Refresh) says, “Sabbath rest is radical because it will not settle for being an occasional add-on to an otherwise busy and distracted life. It wants to be the metronome that establishes and maintains our life’s rhythm. It wants to apprentice us to abundance our whole life long. Sabbath rest is also radical because it’s counterculture”.
You may not think of the Sabbath lifestyle as “counterculture”. After all, how can a concept as old as – the 4th of the ten commandments (given to Moses likely over 3300 years ago), be not only relevant and useful for you today but actually be one of the most powerful, effective, freeing and transformative ways you can live life? West continues, “Sabbath…invites us to come, eager and grateful, week after week, to receive its gifts of abundance, joy, presence, and delight.” His bullet points let you see a clear distinction between what a sabbath gives you over what ‘just another busy day’ drives:
- being over doing,
- people over profit,
- presence over productivity,
- attention over distraction,
- abundance over scarcity,
- gratitude over greed,
- contentment over consumption,
- delight over division,
- connection over competition, and
- both/and over either/or.
Travis’ book unpacks concepts and gives you a framework to be fully alive.
IN ISRAEL CHICK-FIL-A ISN’T THE ONLY BUSINESS CLOSED ON THE SABBATH
Actually, as of 2025 there are no Chick-fil-A restaurants in Israel. BUUUUT — don’t have a cow man (pun intended). Go to Israel to visit or, like Travis West and his wife Mariah, live and work there for a longer period of time and you’ll find that many businesses are closed weekly for Shabbat. The Israeli tradition of rest and reflection significantly shapes modern life in this Jewish nation. Many businesses are closed between sundown on Friday and sundown on Saturday in Israel by law.
TRAVEL TIP: Don’t just be prepared for sabbath closures in Israel when you travel there. Instead, eagerly and intentionally plan to more fully experience Shabbat. One tool to help you do that: Travis West’s book The Sabbath Way.
However, there appears to be an increasing public consensus for that to change. If that change happens, and it gradually is happening in Israel, modern life there will lose what West describes as, “the sacred and ancient rhythm of Sabbath”. Inevitable? Possibly. Unfortunate? Sure. Does God need to get with the times to better meet the needs of people? Definitely not. What God gives through Sabbath goes beyond meeting practical needs by meeting deeper spiritual needs.
Modern life throughout much of the world is actually discovering just how much sabbath qualities profoundly improve life. When you travel, pay attention. The people around you, those who are busy and on the go, are urgently longing for a better way. They pursue ways to find rest, peace, health and wellness. It may be through yoga, therapy, medications, premium hotel amenities and services, and much more. But, it’s never enough. Those faithful to God and who follow Christ have an opportunity, when they travel at home or abroad, to practice authentic Sabbath lifestyle and lead others into it.
That happens, as West explains, when you realize that, “radical rest is more than a weekly practice – it’s also a posture. It is a day of the week and a way of living every day.” Only in God is life transformed and truly robust. That makes Sabbath far more than a religious observance or a practical algorithm/life hack – it is a divine provision from God that positions your lifestyle in the delightful presence of His love.
IT’S NOT A WHOLE DAY LOST – IT’S A WHOLE LOT GAINED
In the Bible it says that God’s name is Jealous. No ambiguity there! Christianity.com says, “The Hebrew word translated “jealous” in the Ten Commandments is qanna (קַנָּא) It is only used to describe God and is related to another word that means “zeal.” Common synonyms for “zeal” are passion, enthusiasm, and fervor.”
As humans we have an incredibly insatiable need to go and go and go (travel, work, play, get, do, etc). God wants us to not just stop and be quiet regularly but to pursue after Him and be in the passion, enthusiasm and fervor of His presence.
The Sabbath isn’t about the futility of religion it is about the finality of Jesus Christ.
-Pastor Timothy Keller
Concepts from the podcast above: You need the Sabbath. The Sabbath lifestyle is made for all of humanity. Jesus Christ IS the Sabbath (deep rest and deep peace). How dare you check in occasionally with Jesus. When the Bible calls you to rest, there are 2 levels. First, you need to take time off. But there is a deeper level of rest – to be so utterly satisfied with your work (your goings and your purpose) that you can leave it alone. You can take all the vacations in the world but you need to have the deep REM sleep of the soul, to rest in what Jesus Christ did on the cross.
Find more travel inspired content that helps you have a stronger sabbath lifestyle in our Camp, Spa, Retreat & Sabbatical department.
