Teens on Sabbath

Whether you've grown up hearing about the Sabbath or you're just now figuring out what it is, let's be real—Sabbath traditions don’t always scream fun. Although adults may love it as a chance to relax from work, and little kids love everything that involves snacks and playtime, teens don’t always seem like the target audience. But does it have to be this way? Stuck in some awkward Sabbath limbo, waiting for the day to end?

This means that the Sabbath isn’t meant as a punishment, but rather as a day of rest and enjoyment. After all, God blessed the Seventh Day (Genesis 2:2-3). God knows that we need a break from our daily lives. After all, even He wanted to spend time enjoying all He had done. But what does this mean for us?

It’s important that we remember to respect what others believe, even if we don’t feel the same way ourselves. Although we’re encouraged to have peaceful conversations about our beliefs (Colossians 4:5-6), we’re not told to be angry or obstinate about others’ beliefs if we don’t have to. I see it in this way: the most important part of our worship with God and our communication with others is that it’s all done with love (Matthew 22:37-39). This may mean that we follow another’s conscience while in their presence, even if we ourselves don’t agree that it’s necessary. For example, while I personally may not be against swimming on the Sabbath, if others that I am with at the time are, then it’s keeping the peace and demonstrating love to abstain from the activity in their presence myself, as it’s not against anything I believe. Thus, we’re loving others, and continuing to love God by showing our care for His instruction.

This means one more thing: I also encourage you to really delve into what you know about Sabbath yourself. Now is a better time than any other to figure out what it is you believe, regardless of whether or not you can currently enact that. Question those you know who follow the Sabbath, and ask them questions about their practices – then check them and your own understanding of them against the Bible.

After all, we’re not encouraged to simply be part of some salvation others have gained for us. No, God wants us to know Him, and all of His blessings personally. While we’re given a guide of general activities to do or prohibit on the Sabbath, it was never so specific as to say ‘don’t go more than ankle deep in the water’. Rather, the Bible gives these rules in the commandments:

So, we know we shouldn’t work. But in our modern times where mostly we don’t have servants or working animals, what does this mean? What is work?

To summarise, we shouldn’t do our daily work, such as going to our jobs, going to school, doing our homework, or generally participating in activities that don’t bring glory to God on the Sabbath. Those things are important, but they’re for the other 6 days of the week. However, we also need to remember to focus more on God and His love, rather than on our own rules when it comes to the Sabbath. Jesus made this very clear in His ministry in Matthew 12:

Jesus encouraged us to do good on the Sabbath. Now, we know what’s good through inner guidance – the Holy Spirit. We know through John 14:26 and 1 Corinthians 2:11-12 that our understanding of right and wrong is largely guided by how we listen to the Holy Spirit. This creates a rather complicated argument, but for the sake of simplicity, as long as we’re doing what we understand as right, and the Bible isn’t against it, then we’re doing the right thing. It’s about how well you listen to your conscience, more than how well you listen to others – as long as you’re doing so based on the Bible.

And honestly, they’re pretty much right. If you have more questions about what the Sabbath is and why we still keep it, try going to this blog: ‘So, What is the Sabbath?’ or the courses on this page here to learn more.

Sabbath is a great time to let go of the stress of the week, and give yourself time to do something you’re actually passionate about. Whether drawing, painting, sculpting, or even building a collage, a rock tower, or Lego, Sabbath is the perfect time to hone those skills in a way that brings the glory back to God. Here are some more specific ideas:

We get it – life can be exhausting. It seems that we are pushed more and more each day, and sometimes we just need a break. God gets this – after all, He even rested Himself on the Sabbath day, and told us that’s what it’s for. Rather than filling your day with a hectic schedule, try sitting back and relaxing – spending time on the grass or sand outside, setting up a hammock to sway in, or even taking a nap!

While this one may take a little more planning, it can also be as simple as picking a new place on a map and going to it. Depending on your age, this may be something to do with family, or even just a good group of friends. Exploring new places is never boring, and I’d say spending the day appreciating God’s nature is exactly how He planned on us making use of a day's rest. Try going to a waterfall, a new beach, on a day hike or bike ride or even just for a drive. Even if you can’t go far, you might be surprised at what treasures God has hidden for us right there, wherever we are.

Do we really need an excuse to see our friends? Whether they’re Christian or not, Sabbath can be a great time to connect with our loved ones – and even get the chance to bring them closer to God as well! Spending time in a Bible study, or even doing the activities mentioned above, we can feel refreshed as we have time to love God and others simultaneously.

As you may have gathered from my previous suggestions, I love spending time outside. God has given us this whole world to enjoy – so we should go ahead and experience it! Further, time in nature offers us some amazing benefits, such as soothing our bodies and minds, giving us an energy boost, and even increasing our emotional wellbeing. Whatever you spend the day doing, try bringing it outside – whether artsy, family or friend focused, or even your prayers. It might just give you the inspiration you need!

Perhaps the most obvious activity, church is a space where focus on God is a given – and a space where we can appreciate Him with others! Not only can we bond with other believers, but we’re given the ability to learn and grow in our understanding and relationship with God and His Word. Bible study groups after or before the service can also help grow our personal love for God and others, allowing us to form those communities that are often so essential to our continued journey with God. If you’d like to be connected to a church, try contacting us on Whatsapp below!

Time alone with God is something essential to our relationship with Him – and something that we don’t always seem to have much time for. Sabbath was literally set apart for us to be able to spend with Him. Spending time speaking to God in prayer can be really revitalising. Don’t worry about making it too formal – God encourages us to speak to Him as a Friend and Father. Tell Him what you’ve been going through, the highs and the lows of the week, and even ask questions. He wants to talk to you. This doesn’t have to be aloud either – we can pray through song, like David did in his Psalms, through art, or through methods such as prayer journaling. If you have questions about prayer and how to do it, The Unlimited Power of Prayer is a great course for a more thorough run-through.

Whether you roll with these ideas or come up with your own, there’s one thing to remember: Sabbath was made for everyone, no matter the age. Maybe it’s a chance to escape the chaos of the week, actually breathe, and do something that fills you up instead of just the doom scrolling we all occasionally become victims of. Whatever it looks like, Sabbath is yours to make meaningful—so why not make the most of it?