SABBATH TOGETHER - Learning to Simply Be

This past weekend, Bill and I went camping, and I think we may have taken our Sabbath Together pillar very seriously. LOL.

We sat around the campfire. We played games. We climbed into our kayaks and floated down the river. I stretched out in the hammock with a book and a blanket and did a whole lot of absolutely nothing. And you know what? It was wonderful.

There was no big agenda. No list of things we needed to accomplish. No rushing from one thing to the next. We simply enjoyed being together. And somewhere between the campfire, the river, the games, and that hammock, I was reminded why Bill and I added Sabbath Together to the pillars we stand on in our marriage. Because sometimes pampering your marriage means doing absolutely nothing together.

We Are Really Good at Doing

Life has a way of turning marriage into a working partnership. There is work to do. Bills to pay. Meals to prepare. Family to care for. Ministry. Appointments. Chores. Problems to solve. Places to be. Before you know it, you can spend an entire week beside your spouse without really being with your spouse.

Even our time away can become another list:

Where are we going?

What are we seeing?

What are we doing next?

But this camping trip wasn't about how much we could squeeze into our time together.

We rested, played games, floated on the river, we talked, we laughed, sat by the fire, and sometimes we didn't do anything at all.

There is something beautiful about being with the person you love and realizing that you don't have to entertain each other or accomplish something to make the time valuable.

Presence is valuable.

HOW DOES THE LORD PAMPER THE CHURCH THROUGH SABBATH?

I love this question because when I look at Scripture, I see a God who doesn't only call His Bride to serve Him. He invites His Bride to rest with Him.

Jesus said:

“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” - Matthew 11:28

Come to Me.

Not do more for Me.

Not prove yourself to Me.

Not finish everything and then you can come.

Come to Me, and I will give you rest. What an incredible way the Lord pampers His Bride.

He knows we get tired and that we carry burdens. He knows how easily we become consumed with doing, even doing good things for Him. So He gives us permission to stop.

Sabbath reminds us that God is still God when we are not working. We get to rest in the security of knowing that everything does not depend on us.

Our Marriages Need That Too

There is something that happens when Bill and I intentionally step away from the noise and rest together.

We're not Mom and Dad.

We're not grandparents.

We're not working.

We're not doing ministry.

We're not checking things off a list.

We're Bill and Jodie.

Husband and wife.

Two people God brought together who still genuinely enjoy being together. And I never want us to become so busy building a life together that we forget to enjoy the life God gave us together. Floating down that river in our kayaks was such a picture of Sabbath to me.

For a little while, you stop fighting the current. You stop trying to get somewhere. You let the river carry you. And isn't that what Sabbath asks us to do with God? Trust Him enough to stop paddling for a little while.

This Week's PAMPER Challenge

Find some time to stop together.

It doesn't have to be a camping trip.

Sit on the porch.

Take a slow walk.

Play a game.

Lie in a hammock.

Sit beside a fire.

Float down a river.

Put away the phones.

And for once, don't use the time to discuss the bills, solve a problem, plan the week, or figure out what needs to be done next.

Just be.

Be with the Lord.

Be with your spouse.

Be grateful.

And rest.

Because sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do for your marriage is simply stop doing.

The Lord pampers His Bride by inviting her into His rest. And we can pamper our marriages by learning to enter that rest together.

S - Sabbath Together.

Another pillar Bill and I are choosing to stand on as we continue learning how to Pamper Our Marriage.

Your marriage does not need to be perfect, it just needs to be pampered.

If you'd like to go deeper into the seven biblical pillars that have strengthened our marriage, Pamper Your Marriage is available on our website. For a limited time, the book is only $15, and the companion workbook is $10. Whether you're married, dating, single, or investing in other relationships, these biblical principles can help you build stronger, healthier connections centered on Christ.

📖 Pamper Your Marriage is available in paperback and Kindle on Amazon, and our website🌐Learn more at www.PamperYourMarriage.org