The Importance of Sabbatical: A Time for Rest, Relationships, and Refocusing on God

Several years ago I was working for a large church in a wealthy suburb. The culture was fast paced, work work work, occasional play. Jump from one thing to the next. Wake up, maybe eat, dash to a morning activity before work, dash to work, put in your hours (many seemed to skip breaks), head to the next thing (church, sports, clubs), head home for a bite to eat, work on something with your evening hours (maybe even church), maybe binge watch the next show, and head to bed. It was full on. This culture wasn’t limited to adults, on the contrary, it seemed even more intense for some young people, especially those who wanted to succeed in sports. After my third young person suffered a sports related injury, the likes of which I wouldn’t expect to see at that age, I started to assess the situation more seriously. People were getting hurt. Go go go quickly leads to gone, and we needed to slow down.

In today's fast-paced, achievement-driven society, it's easy to lose sight of what truly matters. The constant (go go go) drive for productivity and achievement can consume us, leaving little room for meaningful rest or deep personal relationships. This relentless pursuit of work often our ability to priorities our health, personal relationships, and most importantly, our spiritual lives. This is where the need for sabbath, comes in. As a result of realizing the pre-pandemic issues with the rush to my suburban culture, I developed a teaching series on the devotional life that called people back to a slow pace, to breathing deeply, and priorities taking times to stop, pray, read, worship, gather, and out that, go with revitalization and intention. This is a teaching series I have now had the privilege to use in multiple contexts, teaching to middle school students, and university professors, and yet my understanding of it is still expanding, deepening, and maturing.

I had hoped that one silver lining of the dark time of covid lockdowns would be that we learnt to be still, it seemed possible, but I was sad to see that we rushed back to our busy lives like impatient shoppers bursting through the doors of their local big box store on Black Friday, and I did the same. Like a dog returning to its own vomit, I returned to my foolish grind (if you’ll allow me to paraphrase and personalize Proverbs 26:11), and it wasn’t long before I’d have a swift but somewhat painful awakening, a proverbial tap on the nose, and a comforting “no no, come this way” from my master.

Having lived in the USA and Canada for almost all of my adult life, my opportunities to see my grandparents were few and far between, and due to financial constraints and then a world wide lock down on flights, I had missed two funerals. In 2022 that changed. My grandmother, who I hadn’t seen since the first week of covid, passed away. It wasn’t a surprise, she’d been unwell for a long time, and in many ways it was an act of grace for her suffering to be over. What was a surprise, was that in attending and speaking at her funeral, I would have to process the grief of three grandparents passing. It was one of the worst weeks of my life. Covid has played its part, but I had consistently returned to the rush, and I had missed the final years of three of the most important people in my life. One remained, and I determined I wasn’t going to make the same mistake again. In 2023 I upturned my life and I moved back to the UK, initially living with my grandfather, trying to offer support, while also getting the quality time I knew I needed. This was my sabbatical. Sitting in comfy chairs, sipping cups of tea, and listening to old stories. Laughter, tears, and everything in-between, even peacefully reaching moments of silence as we ran out of things to talk about (which might actually be the most peaceful part).

The idea sabbatical has its roots deep in scripture, beyond the regular day of rest we’re called to in the creation narrative, we specifically see the concept of the Sabbath year set in place as a law for Israel. According to Leviticus (25:4), the Israelites were instructed to let the land rest every seventh year. They were to stop from their usual work and focus instead on their relationship with God. This principle of the Sabbath year was not merely about physical rest; it was a time for spiritual renewal and deepening of faith. It offered an opportunity to refocus on God, to remember His provision and faithfulness and to deepen their trust in Him.

In our often hectic post-modern lives, taking a sabbatical from work can serve a similar purpose. It can provide us with a much-needed break, an opportunity to rest and rejuvenate. But more than that, it gives us the time and space to spend quality time with our families and refocus on our relationship with God, stepping back from the relentless demands of the go go go and reprioritizing what truly matters.

During this sabbatical, we can fully invest in our relationships with our loved ones. We can attend to their needs, engage in meaningful conversations, create shared memories, and genuinely be present with them. This is a time to demonstrate to them, through action rather than words, that they are deeply valued and loved.

But a sabbatical is not just about taking a break from work or spending time with family. It's also a dedicated time to refocus on God. It's an opportunity to dive deeper into His Word, to strengthen our prayer life, and to seek His guidance and wisdom in a more focused manner. It's a time to remember His faithfulness and provision, to reflect on His goodness, and to deepen our trust in Him. It’s a time to breathe deeply, and allow ourselves to take on God’s pace, engage with his rhythm.

In essence, a sabbatical is a time for renewal - renewal of body, mind, relationships, and spirit. It's a time to reclaim balance, to reassess our priorities, and to realign ourselves with God's purpose for our lives. It’s almost like it’s a moment of monasticism in the life of a marketplace worker, and it’s invaluable.

Now, I realize I was in a unique position, I was able to jump over to the country of my birth, do something different, and refocus. Not everyone has that opportunity, but I’d encourage you to assess the possibility of finding something similar for yourself. Maybe you can’t let work rest, but maybe you can take a sabbatical from another activity, and use that time to slow down. Whatever it is, let us not neglect the importance of slowing down and taking a sabbatical. Let us take the time to rest, to invest in our relationships, and to refocus on God. For in letting go of the go go go we might just be able to focus on what’s important before it’s gone, and in doing so we will find not only physical and emotional renewal, but also spiritual refreshment, a deeper sense of purpose, and a renewed sense of fulfillment in our lives.