Christian Soul Care Devotional
“Inviting God’s touch in your soul”
By Bill Gaultiere © 2010
“Hi. I’m Bill. I’m a workaholic and adrenaline addict in recovery.”
Now you should say, “Hi Bill!”
How did I recover? How did I get free of adrenaline dependence and anxious overworking? By slowing down for a Sabbath rest.
The Peace of Christ
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts,” Paul says (Colossians 3:15). We all long for the peace of Christ. But we don’t want to be ruled!
Sabbath teaches me let go of all the ways I want to make things happen or control the people and situations in my life. It helps me to be governed by God in what I do and in how I do it.
My guess is that you need Sabbath time too. It’s a powerful treatment not only for overworking or adrenaline dependence, but also for busyness, anxiety, self-importance, trying to control the outcomes of situations, and worrying about pleasing or impressing people.
Little-by-Little I Started Practicing a Sabbath
For many years keeping a Sabbath to me meant going to church, spending some time with my family, and squeezing in as many “projects” as I could. That’s not a bad way to spend a Sunday, but it wasn’t enough to teach me how to live in God’s peace.
The writer to the Hebrews teaches us that New Testament Christians need a Sabbath rest: “Be careful!… Anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work… So make every effort to enter that rest” (Hebrews 4:1,8-11).
Seven years ago I started being intentional about setting aside a day of prayer for spiritual rest and renewal. Ray Ortlund was my spiritual mentor at the time and he got me taking a one or two day retreat every three months. Gradually, I built that up to one day every week.
Now, please don’t think I’m holy because I keep a Sabbath! (Or that you’re an inferior Christian if you’re not keeping a Sabbath in the way that I do.) I do this because I need help to be still and know that the Lord is God – he is in charge, not me! (Psalm 46:10).
What I do on My Sabbath
On my Sabbath I do no work – that’s the key. I try not to be productive. I have no agenda except to spend the day with Jesus, doing whatever we want to do together. Usually, the best way for me to connect with Jesus is in quiet solitude. (Sometimes my Sabbath is spent with my family or on a community retreat.)
My Sabbath may include sleeping in or getting up before sunrise. I may stay holed up in my prayer room or go for a hike in the hills or go to a retreat center. Usually I fast from food and media.
I always spend some time in God’s Word on my Sabbath day. I pray a Psalm, do Lectio Divina on a gospel passage, or practice Abiding Prayer. But I save Bible study for another day since being studious is not restful.
I need to engage my heart with God so I focus on being with Christ and conversing with him. In my journal I process my experiences, confess my sins, or write down what I sense God is saying to me.
Many inspiring prayer poems and abiding prayers have come out of my Sabbath days over the years. I have filled My Psalms Prayer Book with these writings and have begun to post them on our new Soul Shepherding website (see also my prayapsalm tweets on my Twitter or Facebook).
“He Restores my Soul”
Setting aside extended time to unhook from normal activity and noise and connect with Christ is such a blessing! Sabbath teaches us to live in the “easy yoke” of Jesus everyday! (Matthew 11:28-30).
When we make the Lord our Shepherd, learn to lie down in his green pastures, and take the time to drink from his still waters then we will say with David in Psalm 23: “He restores my soul!”
Sabbath time is good for the soul! And it’s a time to love on the Lord!
Soul Shepherding Opportunities
“Hurry Up and Be Still: Freedom From Adrenaline Dependence” explains more of the story of how I overcame anxious workaholism, rushing around, and being keyed up with adrenaline.
Sign up for our new Soul Shepherding Blog which features a prayer exercise in a short e-mail 1-2 times per week.
Share the Christian Soul Care Devotional with your friends.
Blessings,
Bill & Kristi
William Gaultiere, Ph.D. ~ Psychologist & Spiritual Director/Mentor
Kristi Gaultiere, Psy.D. ~ MFT & Spiritual Director/Mentor
www.ChristianSoulCare.com: “Inviting God's touch in psychotherapy”
www.SoulShepherding.org: “Ministering to pastors & leaders”
949.262.3699
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