Jealous For My Sundays

First, allow me to say this: this post is not about Chick-Fil-A.

Second, the name may be misleading; it less about Sunday as much as it is about my Sabbath.

The Flipside of Being Jealous

In modern culture, jealousy is rarely, if ever, discussed as a positive attribute. And for good reason – jealousy often almost leads to anger, bitterness and division. If I where you, I would avoid it.

However, there is a definition of ‘jealous’ that I have grown to accept, like and cherish. In some ways, it borders the vain, self-centered jealousy that we are told to be guarded against, but in many other ways, it’s so radically different that it makes you wonder how the same word can mean both things.

In the typical definition, to be jealous is to see what someone else has (a possession, skill, place in society, etc) that you are lacking, and to be resentful towards that person because of it. It is also coupled with envy and coveting, wanting whatever thing it may be that they have, and you do not.

This second definition, however, is not to be jealous of, but jealous for; to guard something you have with vigilance, and I would add, passion. Most easily, it can be seen in the child who does not want to share their toy for fear that it might break. They hold it closely to their chest and deny anyone access, for they are jealous for it.

Now, in most children, this is from a place of selfishness. But it’s not always the case.

When you are jealous for something because it is your responsibility (your car, for example), you may have stringent boundaries on what can and can’t happen with it. You don’t let anyone borrow it, you make sure you lock it when you’re in an uncertain place, you drive safely so you don’t wreck it – all of these things ways in which we might be jealous for something, yet it does not come from a place of selfishness.

From the outside, someone might judge you for it. “You won’t let anyone borrow your car? But I thought we were supposed to be generous!”

Let me be clear: Having boundaries on who does or doesn’t use your car is not a lack of generosity, nor is it selfish, nor is it wrong. It is your property, and you are allowed to dictate it’s use. Don’t let someone shame you out of holding a boundary.

A Jealous God

If you’ve been in church long enough, you may have heard, “Our God is a jealous God,” which is fairly confusing when you’re working with the first definition of being jealous. Why in the world would an infinite God who is wholly complete in Himself be jealous of anyone else? And if jealousy is a sin, how can God be jealous?

As you can probably guess by now, ‘jealous’ does not refer to craving what someone else has, but that He is jealous for His people. Just like a husband, jealous for his wife, He requests our focus be brought back to him, and our worship to be for Him alone, as it should be. We are His treasure, and He will guard us vigilantly.

When we stray, His request for us to return is not the manipulation of an overly jealous and controlling spouse. It is a reminder that we are His, just as He is ours – He looks at us and says, “My child, you have made the confession that I am your God, and you are among my people. Why are you looking for gods in other places? Your truest affection should belong to me.”

Now, it’s important to note that viewing the relationship of God through the lens of a broken past (if you were in a manipulative relationship) might cause you to doubt whether He calls you back with love or an improper jealousy. I can assure you that God doesn’t call you back to control you – He calls you back because the things you are chasing will try to control you.

The Reason for my Jealousy

So, yes. I am jealous for something.

Sundays, or Sunday afternoons at any rate, have become my time for Sabbath, when I set aside the stress and worry of the work week and turn, not just to relaxation, but focusing back on God.

I’ve always liked the idea of Sabbath, but I have struggled with the implementation of it, especially during college. After all, with all the homework I had, could I really set aside a day to rest?

The Importance of Sabbath

Patrick, my hall’s direct supervisor for college ministry, was a huge advocate for a Sabbath. Josh Garver, my immediate supervisor and close friend, was just as passionate, if not more. We could hardly go a conversation without one of them asking, “Are you taking a Sabbath?”

The idea of a Sabbath was laid out, right in the beginning of Genesis. “And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it [as His own, that is, set it apart as holy from other days], because in it He rested from all His work which He had created and done.” (Genesis 2:2-3, ESV/AMP)

Even from the beginning, our perfect God was setting an example. God, infinite and all-powerful, does not need to rest. It does not say, “He grew tired.” It does not say, “He was too weary to create anything else.” No, instead, it says, “He rested on the seventh day from all his work.”

Later in the scripture, it says, “Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall be put to death.” (Exodus 31:15)

Just before this, it says, “You are to speak to the people of Israel and say, ‘Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the Lord, sanctify you.” (31:12)

Hold onto these two verses – we’ll come back to them.

Misconception of Sabbath

First of all, honoring the Sabbath does not mean lying around and doing nothing. We get this image in our heads of Sunday afternoon naps, and think, “I can’t do that! I don’t have time to sleep!” Or, conversely, we want to be lazy, so we say, “No. I’m just following the Sabbath, so I’m not going to do that today.” A Sabbath is a very intentional day – I’ll explain why shortly.

Secondly, the Sabbath does not equal a specific day. This was a huge one for Pat and Josh, because they knew so many of us were active in locals churches or ministries on Sundays, or knew that Sunday was the only day we had a chance to catch up on all our schoolwork.

Third, they would always remind us that Sabbath doesn’t even mean a full day. Lives, especially around midterms and finals, can be busy all day, everyday. But they would encourage finding at least an hour or two every week to rest and refocus on God.

Fourthly, Sabbath doesn’t mean going to church. Church is essential and often ties into the Sabbath, but do not just go to church and call those two or three hours your Sabbath. Can it be your Sabbath? Yes. Is it the point of Sabbath? By no means.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at a proper view of a Sabbath.

The Point of a Sabbath

Oftentimes, we find ourselves looking for Sabbath for physical rest, and the way Sabbath is structured, we do find physical rest there.

However, the point is the dedication of a day or a time to God – not the service of church ministry, not the social gathering of His people – dedicated on focusing on God. Now, don’t get me wrong – serving in your church is a good thing and gathering with other believers is likewise essential, but they come from focusing on God. When you serve in order to fulfill the Sabbath, you’re no longer fulfilling the Sabbath – you’re working.

“Sabbath” is a time to set aside our work, not to be lazy, but to be intentionally looking after God. Usually, this is coupled with physical rest or some other relaxing activity. The strict instructions given by God in the Old Testament were given to show how intentional it should be. If everything else is stripped away, what else is there to look at except Him?

Now, I know some people will say, “Well, I have devotions every morning. I pray before I begin the day. My focus is on God always – why do I need a Sabbath?”

Those moments most assuredly can be a Sabbath, but when they’re built into the day, especially the morning, there is the undercurrent in the back of your mind of your to-do list. That’s why we’re called to have a time where we can fully set aside all the thoughts of ‘what next?’ and fix our eyes on Jesus.

Sabbaths were also given to us as a gift, to help us remember who our God is. Like Exodus says, “this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the Lord, sanctify you.” We are given the time to reflect upon our God, our savior and sanctifier.

Perhaps a better way to say it is that Sabbath is a time for us to hang out with God. To fully look at Him and learn about Him, not because we are required to go to church and hear a sermon (though that’s a good thing), but because He wants to reveal Himself to us. In the same way, He wants us to reveal ourselves to Him.

What an incredible thought that the infinite God, who knows us fully, would prefer us to tell Him those things and share our true selves before Him. And that He, who has no reason to share anything, wants to share Himself with us personally.

The point of Sabbath is not just rest – it is relationship.

It is one of the ways God says, “I am jealous for you, my child. Come, spend a day with me, and let your spirit and body rest within my presence.”

There are weeks where I can’t stop running, no matter how I wish for a Sabbath. Those weeks suck.

Because of that, I am intensely jealous for my Sundays. Anything I do on those days is done through the mindset of, “How am I resting in God through this?”

For me, my Sabbath is being alone, away from social distractions. I love my friends and family, don’t get me wrong. I don’t avoid them on Sundays, but I am also intentional about finding time to retire to my room and be with God.

Sometimes I’ll write stories. Sometimes I’ll write music. Sometimes, it’s not about God, but about my feelings and questions – but through it, I’m revealing my heart to God and searching for His heart to be revealed to me.

Sometimes I’ll go get coffee and be out all day, resting in the presence of Godly community and beautiful fellowship.

When my sister got married on a Sunday, I had no opportunity to take that afternoon – nor did I want to. So, I do recognize that there are seasons when an extended Sabbath like mine might not always be possible.

But we should seek moments to get away and get with God.

God is jealous for His relationship with you.

You are allowed to be jealous for your relationship with Him.

A Note About the Pictures

The day after my sister’s wedding, I had the opportunity to take the afternoon off of my usual office work. My response was to take a solo hike. All the pictures are from that hike to Three Falls Woods.

Now, I was attempting to chase a Sabbath, but in my pursuit of the Sabbath, I missed the purpose. While physically, mentally and emotionally refreshing, it wasn’t as spiritually refreshing as it could have been.

I bring it up as an encouragement and warning. First, if you miss your typical Sabbath, I encourage finding time during the week to bolster that, even if it’s just a half-hour of listening to worship music when you get home from work.

Secondly, remember to keep the focus right. It’s so easy to think of Sabbath as another thing to add to our weekly checklist, just like buying groceries or filling the tank. But Sabbath is a gift. Sabbath is about relationship. God doesn’t want you to come only because you feel like you must – He wants you to come because you want Him.

Be jealous for your Sabbaths. Just like your car, don’t let anyone shame you for not sharing that time. You wouldn’t let a friend pull you out of a date to play video games – why should anyone expect you to leave the God of your heart for anything less than Him?