Selah

We named our daughter, Selah, meaning "to pause, take a breath, reflect on the goodness of God."  Daily as I look at that little face I pause, take a breath, and marvel at this amazing little baby created in the image of God. 

I picked up a Bible study in August entitled "Breathe: Creating a Sabbath Margin" by Priscilla Shirer simply because the title was basically Selah's name. Priscilla taught on how God had to create the Sabbath principle in our lives to remind us while work is important, it is not the end game for us. Much of what she shared spoke straight conviction to my easily overcommitted, type A, people-pleasing little heart. She said, "Overworking is a form of unbelief (I winced aloud as I read)...The opposite of faith is not unbelief itself, but control."(I winced aloud again.)  Control of all the details, control of all the people, control of all the emotions, control of all the finances...God did not intend for us control the universe. He also did not create us to overwork ourselves to the point we have nothing left for our families. He set us up as caretakers to this beautiful universe that He created.  He created us for work in this world, but the Sabbath was created for us to remember HE is in control and HE is the one who provides for us.  

In Exodus 16, Moses instructs the Israelites concerning the manna and quail that the Lord would provide for them. 
Gather as much of it as each person needs to eat. You may take two quarts per individual...So the Israelites did this. Some gathered a lot, some a little. When they measured it by quarts the person who gathered a lot had no surplus and the person who gathered a little had no shortage. Each gathered as much as he needed to eat.Now Moses warned them to not try and hoard any of it, but they didn't listen because they were going to control how much they had...not Moses or God. And the next morning they awoke to the manna covered in worms and rotting. I can just see Moses giving a big ol' eye roll to the Israelites because he definitely had no time for this foolishness. :) Fast forward to the end of the week...the sixth day.  And Moses tells the Israelites God wants them to gather a double portion on this day because there will be no manna on the seventh day...the Sabbath. 

For six days you may gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will be none.

Moses was very clear with the Israelites, but do you know what? They got up and went to work anyhow. They didn't trust the double portion they gathered on the sixth day would be enough. 

Yet on the seventh day, some of the people went out to gather, but they did not find any.

Have you ever felt like you've worked so much you were just spinning your wheels and bringing nothing in? You are standing in the middle of the Sabbath margin. If you trust in the Lord's provision, you honor Him by leaving space for the margin where you are not the one working and earning and gathering. You are stopping to take a breath and reflect on the goodness of God.  He has called you to whatever work you are doing, but He has also called you to remember for whom you are working. It's not for yourself.  It's for His glory. Isn't it just like our sin nature to take the good gift of work and distort it into something that distracts us from the Lord rather than its original purpose of pointing us to Him?! 

In our small group study, we are studying Gospel Centered Work and each week we are reminded our work is important, but it is not separate from our faith. Our work does not define us, Christ does. But, whenever we focus on the tasks, the things we feel we can control, we start forgetting for whom the work is being done. The Lord of the Sabbath is the Lord of Creation.  He ordains our steps and our calling. Our work is important, but so is remembering the provision of the Lord and reminding ourselves He is the one for whom we are working. 

--Gabrielle Haston