Lisa Notes: The practice of saying no: Observe and remember

The practice of saying no: Observe and remember

A being is free only when it can determine and limit its activity.
KARL BARTH

On Friday nights, observant Jews light two candles for the upcoming Sabbath, their day of rest.

A rest candle, for the Shabbat commandment “to observe”
Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the LORD your God commanded you. Deuteronomy 5:12
A freedom candle, for the Shabbat commandment “to remember”
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Exodus 20:8

In my year of One Word 2013: Jesus, I’m choosing April to practice saying “no” one day a week. As Barbara Brown Taylor says in An Altar in the World:

I have made a practice of saying no for one day a week: to work, to commerce, to the voice in my head that is forever whispering, “More.” One day each week, More God is the only thing on my list.

So I hope to light two candles once a week to remind me to say, “More Jesus, please.”

By observing rest
Rest is God’s gift to the tired. Tired of catching up, tired of working hard, tired of learning more. Instead, rest in the finished work of Jesus. It is done.
By remembering freedom
I’ve been set free from slavery to my own works. I want to remember and celebrate my liberation by living as if I truly am free: free from worries, free from condemnation, free from self.

If God could rest from his work, how much more should I be able to rest from mine.

When you live in God, your day begins when you let God raise you up, when you consent to rest to show you get the point, since that is the last thing you would do if you were running the show yourself.
BARBARA BROWN TAYLOR

* * *

Do you observe a day of rest each week? How easy or difficult is it?

RELATED:

March 2013: The Practice of Wearing Skin
February 2013: The Practice of Slowing Down
January 2013: The Practice of Waking Up to God

Comments (15)

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Mia · 626 weeks ago

Dear Lisa
Having a chronic illness, Fm/CFS, I often have to be quiet to rest my body. Those times I use to draw deep into the life of our Lord Jesus, drinking from the wonderful Fountain of Living Water! And to say NO, NO and NO to many things I used to be able to do with ease before!
Much love
Mia

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beezworthy 33p · 626 weeks ago

I'm so glad that God set the example of resting from His work one day a week, Lisa. I try, sometimes unsuccessfully, to follow His example. But i know that setting aside time to be refreshed by His presence every day has made such a difference in my life. I can't make it through a day without clinging to Him. Thanks for this beautiful reminder! I hope your Easter was filled with joy!

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nancyhsturm 17p · 626 weeks ago

Oh how we females struggle with the "rest." Resting today and enjoying reading the insights of others on their blogs. Thanks for your thoughtful words!
My recent post The Road to Resurrection: Ten, Resurrection

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fsamons 60p · 626 weeks ago

I'm not very good at this... at all! I'm trying to get better, but it is a discipline that turns into habit. Good habits are harder to come by than the bad ones it seems. Thanks for the reminder, Lisa. And good for you.
My recent post HEARTBREAKS AND TEDDYBEARS

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Michelle DeRusha · 626 weeks ago

I've been practicing Sabbath rest for about 6 months now. In some ways, it's still hard for me to dial down and rest, but in some ways, it's also opened up new gifts I never expected. Saying no allows me to say yes to the unexpected -- like exploring a gem and crystal rock exhibit last Sunday with my boys at the local natural history museum. It was so beautiful, and they were so excited (they are really into rocks), and if it hadn't been Sunday, we likely would never have discovered it because I would have been too busy with other daily obligations.

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jeanwise 12p · 626 weeks ago

LIke Michelle I knew for a long time this is one practice i was neglecting but only recently like the last three months have I been honoring the Sabbath. I find it very difficult to take myself off the to do mode and switch to being. To be honest the computer and smartphone are my most difficult habits to let go off. It has gotten better and I almost can honestly say, now I am enjoying Sabbath, even looking forward to it. slow but steady progress. Keep us posted on how you do and what you learn!
My recent post I Have Seen the Lord - Lectio Divina

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Sylvia R · 626 weeks ago

Interesting information, Lisa, about the two Shabbat candles, their names and meanings, especially that one stands for freedom. It especially strikes me because I have been thinking a lot lately about how one of the reasons God told his people Israel to observe the Sabbath was because He had brought them out of *slavery* in Egypt (Dt. 5:15) -- and how Sabbath is freedom from our slavery to the drudgery demands of the world, and self!
My recent post Pre-Resurrection Resurrection, and other Signs of Hope

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joanneviola 40p · 626 weeks ago

Loved this thought & the quotes from Barbara Brown Taylor. Thank you so much for sharing. I needed to read this today. I visit from Soli Deo Gloria Sisterhood & am so glad that I did.

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Jen Ferguson · 626 weeks ago

Yes - we are on the same wavelength this week. I like the thought of practicing "no" one day a week. Good idea!
My recent post What are you Chasing? Across the Kitchen Table, 3rd Edition and the Soli Deo Gloria Party

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Kim · 626 weeks ago

Your message is timeless and important. We exhort our little ones to nap, because we can see first hand what happens when they get too tired, yet we often just keeping running on empty. . .
I really struggled with this, but have been working on not working on Sundays so that I can have the day with my hubbie to go to church, and then enjoy the remainder of the day.
My recent post Honesty: What’s love got to do with it?

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khilltaylor 23p · 626 weeks ago

Saying no can be hard for me too, but I've learned that protecting time with my family and giving myself rest are important. I'm a nicer person when this happens! :) Thank you for your encouragement here. It's a message I find myself trying to remember and re-learn on a regular basis.
My recent post {God-sized Dreams} Love the Lord, Love your neighbor

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laura · 625 weeks ago

I could do a better job in this area too, Lisa. I love reading your practice for the month--so creative and thoughtful. You are encouraging me to be more deliberate in nurturing my time with God.
My recent post Good Prose: Memoir

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cbuxton03 4p · 625 weeks ago

This is something I'm continually working on. I'm getting better about it, thanks to thoughtful and well-written posts like yours that remind me. (Thank you!) We make Sunday a special family day, where we often say no to other activities. We try to be very mindful of how we are spending our time on that day, so that it is restful and restorative. This mostly comes into play on Sunday night - we always stay home. It is so nice to have that family meal and proper bedtime to start the week off right. In other ways, I'm learning to say "no" to every request or "opportunity" that comes my way; or to at least pause, pray and think before saying yes.

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Pamela · 625 weeks ago

God has been teaching me all about rest. One day of busy enjoyment can set me back several days--I'm still struggling with our 3 day visit to my parents. I've been struggling against the frustration of pain--frankly, griping in my heart--and this post settled my heart. "Rest is God's gift to the tired" is my new mantra. I'll be lighting some candles and thanking God for His rest.

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barbarah 65p · 625 weeks ago

I remember some years ago coming across Isaiah 58:13 and realizing that the Sabbath wasn't really so much about physical rest from labor, though that was part of it, but it was a day unto the Lord, to delight in Him. It's perceptive to realize that to sat yes to that we have to say no to other things, even good things. It's sad that society in general began thinking of a day of rest as a restriction rather than a day of freedom, and so many Christians followed.
My recent post A good idea…