The Great Reset: A Day of Rest and Gladness
One of the greatest realities that we experience as God’s human creation is our basic need to step away from the ever-increasing demands that we have placed on ourselves, and refocus our attention on experiencing our Creator’s plan for our best life in the here and now. Most of us jump into the proverbial rat race and do our best to get up to at least a minimal survival pace, when what we really need is to get out of that race periodically and experience some peace, joy and rest.
And just how do you propose that we do that? you may ask. Most who will read this have a pretty good idea of what is meant by this suggestion. Yet you may be someone who is barely holding on to the frayed ends of your overextended rope and could use some relief.
In the context of our lives, the demands that we experience from life in general have led us to a point of desperate fatigue. God knew that we would do this. He knew that we would take the intellect, the energy and the resources that He has given to us and drive ourselves to extreme measures in pursuit of personal accomplishments. Pastors, medical practitioners, counselors, life coaches and a myriad of others have come to an increasing belief that humans need a break!
The solution to this need goes back to the evening of the very day that Adam and Eve were created. As that day was drawing to a close, we can imagine that God stepped back to survey all that He had created on His new planet, and He celebrated it in the context of rest. As Genesis 2:3 says, “Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it He rested from all the work of creating that He had done.” This resting was not from weariness, but in relationship and joy.
God planted our human family tree in a garden, declaring that—from that day onward—the seventh day would be a holy time that He prescribed to everyone for rest, renewal and a refocusing of our lives with a weekly reset. This special day would be a standing reminder that we should stop the madness of the schedules that drive us through the week and enter a haven of rest and a time for worshiping the One Who made heaven and earth. God called this special weekly time Sabbath, and He invites us to step out of our crazy busy lives and stressful times into the holiness of His time.
I have long been drawn to the comments of author and rabbi Abraham Heschel, who describes Sabbath as “a cathedral in time.” This description calls us to understand that no matter where we are, or what surrounds us, this holy time has been given to us as a reminder that God is present in this time, that He desires—and deserves—our worship and that we will be the beneficiaries of entering into the rest that He promises.
It is interesting to note that, although Sabbath is often misunderstood today, throughout history there has been a rather broad understanding of the concept of, and need for, Sabbath. In fact, for nearly 200 of the world’s languages, the word for Saturday is a form of the word Sabbath. And for Seventh-day Adventists, the seventh-day Sabbath represents one of two very important beliefs that are found in our name, due in large part to the influence of Joseph Bates, one of the our church’s co-founders.
The Sabbath is truly a gift of grace from God to humankind. It was important at the time of our Creation, it was important at the time of our redemption, and it will be important all the time leading up to (and after) the long-promised return of Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath. May we continue to experience the blessing of Sabbath as we enter into the rest that has been prescribed for us from the beginning of time for the care and keeping of everyone who will choose to experience the peace and joy that Sabbath can provide.
By Phil Robertson. Robertson served as the Texico Conference executive secretary and treasurer until his retirement in August 2024. He lives with his wife, Kathie, in Burleson, Texas.
