EXODUS 20:8-11

“Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, 10. but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. 11. For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.”

When we are in recovery we need to be especially careful to have all our faculties about us. If we allow ourselves to get overtired, we will be less able to cope with the demands of life. It will be harder for us to maintain sobriety, and we will be more susceptible to a relapse.

Rest is essential to the maintenance of any kind of balanced life. The Bible recognizes the importance of rest for people, for farmland, for animals, and for God himself. Weekly rest was even included as one of the 10 commandments. God declared, “You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the 7th day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work… For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; But on the 7th day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy” (Exodus 20: 9- 11). The Lord then gave these instructions to Moses: ‘Tell the people of Israel: ‘Be careful to keep my Sabbath day, for the Sabbath is a sign of the covenant between me and you from generation to generation. It is given so you may know that I am the Lord, who makes you holy”‘” (Exodus 31: 12-13).

God wants us to have the rest we need for a balanced life. As part of our recovery program we should include a weekly Sabbath or intermission. This should be a time to relax from our regular duties and allow our body to rest period it should also be a time of spiritual refreshment, a time to reflect from God’s promises and to remember that it is God who sustains us throughout the recovery process.