Have you ever felt like you’re so comfortable with exhaustion that you can’t even enjoy a break when it’s given to you?

I have. And for the longest time, I thought Sabbath was impossible. Something for “back in the day” when people didn’t have all the distractions we have now.

But here’s what God has been teaching me: If He created it and designed it this way, then it is important. It is valuable.

And if I’m going to lead women out of hustle culture, I have to walk this out myself.

So today, I’m taking you along on my journey. This isn’t polished. This isn’t perfect. This is real-time, unscripted, and honest.

Because I just practiced my first Sabbath, and I want to share everything I’m learning with you.

Why I’m Diving Into Sabbath

For the past year, I’ve been on this journey of undoing everything I’ve learned and experienced over the past 37 years of my life. I’ve been learning what it looks like to abandon hustle culture and walk in step with the Lord instead of striving to fit into the mold of what the world says success looks like.

I hired a nervous system coach. I’ve been pursuing rest. But my body was still so sped up because I had trained my nervous system to operate in chaos. Now I’m working on undoing that and aligning everything else to match.

Right now, I’m going through Priscilla Shirer’s Bible study called Breathe: Making Room for Sabbath, and it’s completely shifting my perspective.

Here’s what I’m realizing: We live in perpetual cycles of busy, and so often we can’t see a way out. We just assume this is what life must be like.

But that’s not how God designed it. That’s not how He intended for us to live.

Rest Is Not a Suggestion. It’s a Command.

In the study, Priscilla asks this powerful question:

“Are we so comfortable with exhaustion that we can’t even enjoy a break when it’s thrust upon us?”

She compares us to the Israelites who were freed from slavery in Egypt. They had been in bondage for so long that they didn’t know how to stop working. Even when they were free, they still acted like slaves.

Sound familiar?

We’ve been freed from the requirement to work constantly, yet we still work constantly.

Here’s what hit me: Sabbath is not just a good idea. It’s a command.

Deuteronomy 5:15 says: “Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out of there with a strong hand and an outstretched arm. That is why the Lord your God has commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.”

Exodus 20:8-10 says: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. You are to labor six days and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. You must not do any work.”

This isn’t optional. This is part of the Ten Commandments. God didn’t say, “Rest if you can squeeze it in.” He said, “Keep the Sabbath day.”

Trusting in the Sixth Day Provision

Here’s something that blew my mind:

When the Israelites were freed from Egypt, God provided them with manna. They were supposed to collect enough for each day, but on the sixth day, they were to collect a double portion so they wouldn’t have to work on the seventh day.

Priscilla said something powerful: “Trust in the sixth day provision. He will give you a double portion.”

In my mind, that double portion means God will give you all the time you need to get what needs to be done. We just have to steward that time well.

That means I need to plan better. I need to get all my work done in six days so I can truly rest on the seventh.

My First Sabbath: What I Did (And Didn’t Do)

I’ll be honest. I was waiting for my Bible study to give me a step-by-step playbook. I’m a rule follower, so I wanted clear guidelines.

But then God convicted my heart and said, “Just start.”

So I did.

Here’s what I learned from my best friend who also practices Sabbath: There aren’t supposed to be rules. The rule is to just rest and not work. The other rule is to do things that are life-giving for you.

So yesterday, I entered into my first Sabbath thinking, “Okay, it’s not gonna be perfect. That’s fine. The whole idea of practicing something is to get better at it.”

Here’s what I told myself:

• I’m not going on my phone for anything I don’t have to be on it for
• I’m going to do things that are life-giving

What I Did Instead of Being on My Phone:

• Read a book
• Looked through two of my cookbooks and planned meals for the coming weeks
• Looked through the Homebody book that’s been on my nightstand forever
• Worked on a puzzle with my husband for over an hour
• Did two word search pages (my daughter walked in and said, “I didn’t know you did word searches, Mom!” I said, “Well, I do now!”)
• Sat in worship and belted out the lyrics to my favorite Christian songs

And you know what? It felt so good.

I didn’t feel like a slave to my phone. I replaced the need to scroll with things that were actually life-giving.

The Be Present App Has Been a Game-Changer

I recently got the Be Present app, and it’s been really powerful for me. You can set “open limits” for specific apps.

For example:

• I only want to open Instagram six times a day
• I don’t want to be on it for more than 15 minutes at a time

That might seem like a lot for some of you, or not enough for others.

But here’s the thing: I gave myself something doable. I was probably opening Instagram eight times a day, so I dropped it to six. Now I’m down to four times a day.

The app gives you a warning when you’re about to hit your limit, and sometimes it cuts me off. It forces me to ask, “Do I really need to get on Instagram right now?”

And most of the time, the answer is no.

Why Do We Think We’re Stronger Than God’s Design?

Here’s what I’ve been asking myself:

If God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh, why do I think I can go through life without that seventh day of rest?

Why do we think we’re stronger and more capable of living outside of God’s design than He is?

He created this perfect design. And when we live outside of those boundaries, there are consequences.

Here’s something I realized during my Bible study this morning:

As adults, we rarely hear “no.” We give ourselves indulgences whenever we want them, and we don’t often say no to ourselves.

But when we were kids, our parents had boundaries. They told us yes and no. We heard “no” a lot. And as parents, we give “no” a lot to our kids because they need those boundaries.

This Sabbath practice is an opportunity for us to start saying no to ourselves and replace the things we normally say yes to with life-giving things that will help us find rest and peace.

The Spiritual Battle for Rest

Galatians 5:1 says: “Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you.”

Why would we submit ourselves back to the yoke of slavery?

God has set us free. But the enemy has snuck in and tried to take away our freedom. He has ensnared us back into slavery to our phones, to busyness, to exhaustion.

We have the opportunity to say, “No way. We’re done with that slavery. We’re taking on the free yoke that Jesus gives us.”

His burden is light. So why do we still stay chained to our slavery?

Your Invitation to Practice Sabbath

If you’ve never practiced Sabbath before, I want to ask you: Why?

Maybe you were like me and didn’t really think it was for us anymore in this modern day.

Maybe you don’t know where to start.

Maybe it feels impossible.

I want you to surrender this and ask yourself:

If God needed that seventh day of rest, why do I think I don’t need it?

All of us want more rest. All of us want more peace. But maybe the reason it feels so out of reach is because we’re doing life outside of God’s design.

We’re not practicing the Sabbath He laid out for us.

So I’m inviting you to come along with me on this journey. Start practicing Sabbath. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Just start.

Let’s Keep This Conversation Going

I would love to hear from you:

• Are you already practicing Sabbath? What does it look like for you?
• Are you just starting? What’s holding you back?

Reach out to me on Instagram @thepurposegathering and let’s open up this conversation.

And if you’re looking to connect and go even deeper, join our Free Community. This is an opportunity for us to go deeper together as a community of like-minded mom business owners who are in pursuit of following Jesus.

Final Words From My Heart

I don’t want to yoke myself to slavery anymore. God has set me free. And I’m choosing to walk in that freedom by practicing Sabbath.

This was my first time, and it wasn’t perfect. But it was a start.

And if you’re ready to start too, just take that first step. Say no to the phone. Say yes to rest. And trust that God will provide everything you need in those six days so you can truly rest on the seventh.

With love and grace,

Related Podcast Episodes: 

1. Ep 218. Stop Just Managing Your Time +Start Prioritizing It
2. Ep 147. ​​Making Self-Care a Reality in Your Life
3. Ep 66. Why Margin in Your Calendar is Crucial to Self-Care

Resources:

1. Learn more about the Collective Mastermind – A Christ-centered space for ambitious mompreneurs who are ready to align their life and business with the Lord.
2. Join the Faith-Fueled Fireside on December 16th at 10AM (AZ Time) – This virtual gathering is an opportunity to connect with like minded mamas who are ready to trade hustle for peace this season.
3. Join the Free Purpose Gathering Community – A welcoming space for Christian mompreneurs to connect, grow, and be encouraged in both life and business.
4. Have a question for me? Or a specific struggle you’re dealing with? I’ll address your question on the podcast. Submit your ‘Ask Ashley’ question here.
5. Please connect with me on Instagram @thepurposegathering.