Sabbath as Spiritual Formation

By Lauren Ashley Zitek

In my previous article, I shared four things we have learned about practicing Sabbath with kids and why I believe it’s such a gift for our children to grow up in Sabbath homes. In this three-part series, I’d like to share three things we have learned about this practice as parents. Part one was about “living in your season” on Sabbath. This article is part two.

When my children are grown and look back on their childhoods, I don’t want them to remember me as rushed, distracted, and easily annoyed. My hope is that my deepest values will be unmistakable as they reflect on their formative years.

I want them to remember reading books with me. The way I greet my husband with a kiss when I come home. Someone who brings big and little things to God in prayer. Someone who laughs easily. That the person holding a sign that reads “Out of Work” mattered to me.

It’s all too easy for there to be a gap between our stated values and the values we are living out when we truly examine the way we spend our time, attention, and money.

The question then becomes: How can we align our habits with our deepest values? How can our daily lives reflect what we truly believe?

This is one reason why spiritual practices are so valuable. Spiritual practices of all varieties tend to have this effect in our lives, drawing us closer to God and forming us into the people God has designed us to be. John Mark Comer writes in his book Practicing the Way, “The practices are disciplines based on the lifestyle of Jesus that create time and space for us to access the presence and power of the Spirit and, in doing so, be transformed from the inside out.”

One of the reasons I love Sabbath is that it opens a door for many of my deepest values.

Sabbath is one practice that clears the way for many other practices. It’s similar to a “keystone habit,” described by Charles Duhigg in The Power of Habit; this one routine creates a ripple effect that triggers other positive habits. Exercise and making your bed are examples of keystone habits.

Building on this concept, Sabbath could be thought of as a keystone spiritual practice. When we make space for Sabbath, we’re also making space for all the beautiful components of this holy day. The day naturally creates space for prayer, gratitude, unhurried conversation, delight, hospitality, and attentiveness to God. We are reminded that we are loved and cherished, apart from our contributions and accomplishments. One practice opens the door to many others.

To be clear, my goal is to live with the effects of Sabbath down to the deep fibers of my being, not only one day of the week. Sabbath isn’t a pass to live in a rushed and disconnected haze for six days of the week, and concentrate on all spiritual practices for one day of the week. It’s not about “hacking the system” or trying to curate balance and wellness.

But one beautiful thing about Sabbath is that it is a place where we can practice living in alignment with the things we know are most important in life.

Over time, Sabbath should gently form us into the people God is inviting us to become. We can ask ourselves: Am I becoming more grateful? Less rushed? More contemplative? More connected to the Creator? More connected to the people I love most? If not, it may be worth asking whether we’ve become so focused on keeping Sabbath that we’ve lost sight of why God gave us this gift in the first place.

When my children are grown, I don’t expect that they’ll remember every single detail of our Sabbath practice. More importantly, my hope is that they will carry memories with them of parents who were present, calm, and connected. Parents who were intentional, deeply rooted in God, and attentive to the people around them. Parents whose lives reflected what mattered most. Not only on Sabbath, but every other day of the week

If you are interested in learning about what the practice of Sabbath looks like in our family, check out this article.

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