A Better Yes

Read

Mark 2:27 “Then he said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.’”

Think

There’s something strangely addictive about being busy. We might complain about it. We might daydream about slowing down. But deep down, staying in motion makes us feel important. Productive. In control. Our calendars are full. Our inboxes stay stacked. Every hour is booked with something that feels urgent.

And yet, for all the energy we expend trying to make the most of our time, many of us are quietly unraveling. More burned out. More distracted. More disconnected from what matters most. Somewhere along the way, we traded rest for rush and convinced ourselves it was progress.

Jesus steps into that world and says something radically freeing. “The Sabbath was made for man.” In other words, this rhythm of rest and worship wasn’t designed as a rule to burden us. It was a gift, handcrafted for our good. A weekly space carved out by God himself to renew, recalibrate, and restore the very people he loves. But here’s the catch: to say yes to Sabbath, you have to say no to something else.

You can’t squeeze rest into an already overflowing life. You can’t worship meaningfully when your soul is still racing. You can’t honor the rhythm of God while clinging to the rhythm of culture. At some point, something has to give.

And that’s where most of us get stuck. Not because we don’t believe in Sabbath, but because we can’t figure out how to make it fit.

Think of your life like a suitcase. There’s only so much space. You get to decide what goes in. The problem isn’t that Sabbath doesn’t belong in your life. The problem is that your life is already packed with other things. Some are essential. Others are just habits you’ve never questioned. But until something gets removed, rest will always get left behind. That’s why Sabbath is not just a time issue. It’s a trust issue.

We cram our schedules full because we’re afraid of missing out, falling behind, or disappointing someone. We treat every opportunity as a must, every invitation as an obligation. But the Sabbath invites us to choose a better yes. To trust that what God wants to give us in rest is better than what we think we’ll miss by staying busy.

Jesus practiced this. He said no to the crowds. He withdrew from the demands. He prioritized space with the Father. And he did it all without guilt or apology. He knew his mission. He stayed in step with the Father. And he didn’t let pressure rewrite his priorities.

That kind of rhythm requires clarity. You have to know what matters most to protect it. You must decide ahead of time what your yes will be, or the world will decide it for you.

There’s a kind of wisdom in limits. When you know what you’ve said yes to, you can say no without guilt. That’s what Sabbath is. It is a pre-decided yes to rest, worship, family, reflection, and delight in God. Which means you’ll have to say no to things that might seem good but will ultimately crowd out the best.

This is where it gets hard. Because the things that steal Sabbath are rarely evil. They’re often fun, meaningful, and even valuable. Sports. Travel. Projects. Events. Brunch with friends. Extra work to get ahead. None of those are wrong. But when they consistently push Sabbath to the margins, something starts to shift in your soul.

You become spiritually dehydrated. Emotionally fatigued. And you don’t notice until it starts leaking out, less patience, less joy, less peace, more reactivity, more emptiness. The Sabbath is God’s way of restoring what the rest of the week drains.

And when you honor it, you’re not just giving up something. You’re gaining clarity, energy, focus, and joy. You’re re-learning how to live from rest instead of chasing it.

Think of it like gardening. If you keep pulling fruit without feeding the soil, eventually everything dies. But when you fertilize and water and protect the roots, fruit becomes the natural result. Sabbath is how God fertilizes your soul. Not just with rest, but with his presence.

It’s tempting to think that taking a full day feels extravagant. But when God created the world, he modeled it from the very beginning. Six days of creating, one day of resting. If God thought rest was important enough to build into the design of creation, why do we act like it’s optional?

The Sabbath was made for man. That means God thought of you when he made it. He knew your limits. He anticipated your stress. He saw how prone you’d be to overcommitting and overextending. And he carved out space for your restoration.

You don’t have to feel bad for needing a break. You were made to need it. But if you want that space to matter, it cannot be accidental. It needs to be guarded. Protected. Scheduled like anything else that’s important.

Your yes to Sabbath is a no to hustle culture. A no to comparison. A no to proving yourself by your productivity. It’s also a yes to deeper peace. A yes to being present. A yes to remembering that your worth doesn’t come from what you do, but from the One who made you.

The world may not slow down. But you can. That decision will take courage. But the reward is rest that restores. Not because you earned it, but because God freely gives it. This week don’t just wish for margin. Make it. Choose the better yes.

Apply

Look at the week ahead and ask yourself, “What do I need to say no to in order to say yes to Sabbath?” Identify one specific thing that has crowded out rest or worship and remove it. Replace it with something that feeds your soul and draws you into the presence of God. Then protect that yes like it matters—because it does.

Pray

God, I want to trust you enough to slow down. Forgive me for saying yes to everything except rest. Help me believe that your rhythm is better than mine. Give me wisdom to say no to what drains me and courage to say yes to what restores me. I want to honor your gift of Sabbath and live in a way that reflects your peace. In Jesus’ name. Amen.