In a time with unlimited distractions, there needs to be a day of focused rest.
At first, growing up as a kid in a Christian home, Sundays were monotonous. I was forced to wear nice nice clothes, hear unaesthetic worship songs, and sit quietly through a boring sermon that could make me feel guilt. Then, we went home and our parents took a nap, while Dad gave us three boys the options to sleep, pray and fast, or read a book.
I disliked Sundays, since often that was a day when we weren’t allowed to play Xbox or watch anything. Against my will, I had to honor the Lord by sacrificing all the activities that I wanted and liked doing. Sundays were slow and boring. Now at eighteen, I have school and sports throughout the week and Sundays I get to rest. Distractions are limited, empty and tired tanks are filled, and there is no pressure to get anything done. Sundays aren’t a day to be resented for the things that your parents make you do or the things you feel obligated to do, but enjoyed since it is the one day of true rest.
Part of the reason I enjoy Sundays is due to having a quiet and pretty property filled with tall pine trees and the right amount of open fields. I love walking our large dogs around our property border with my mom in the sunshine after a good church service, a filling lunch, and a solid nap. The day of rest can be made or broken by who you spend it with and the activities you occupy yourself with. Sundays are like a flower pot that is filled with gratitude. If used correctly, it can fill you and give you a little peace. But if broken, it can leave you tired and unprepared for the week of work ahead.
A Sunday with intentional rest can lead to a state of joy and thankfulness, motivating you for the week ahead. A good Sunday is spent doing whatever you find restful, which could range from playing pick-up flag football to spending time with the Lord alone. On Sundays, families are together eating and talking about the interesting events of the week, the normal week work is laid aside, and the hobbies that no one has time for are finally taken up.
I used to use Sundays for homework that I procrastinated, for additional soccer practice, or I would fill the “holy day” with distractions—things I wanted to do but weren’t beneficial, making Sunday afternoon like Friday night. The distractions were either my phone, a show, or a video game. These activities almost always take something from Sunday leaving me more drained than before. Like I did, some use Sundays to get extra work or homework done that didn’t get completed the week before or stare at a screen in an attempt to “escape” but they become more cluttered and tired. People feel unmotivated and anxious about the week ahead because they aren’t using the day to truly rest.
A survey of 2,000 American adults performed by Talker Research found that due to a feeling of anxiety for the week ahead most Americans spend their Sundays binge watching TV shows (51%), others watch movies (42%), and some stare at social media (29%). Others spend their time doing their least favorite activities, such as cleaning (33%) and yard work (21%) (“Average Person Spends Their Sundays”). Some Americans fill their Sunday with things they do on a regular mundane weekday, which takes away from the unique day of rest and play.
Some people are stuck like pre-programmed computers feeding on distractions that empty them. Sundays can be “me time” that is spent filling oneself with mindless entertainment, which is designed to make the consumer more addicted and thereby less filled and energized. It is true in a sense that we are always “feeding” or “consuming,” but what we are consuming either leaves us better than before or more empty.
It is true in a sense that we are always “feeding” or “consuming,” but what we are consuming either leaves us better than before or more empty.
Aaron Edelheit who is the author of The Hard Break: The Case for a 24/6 Lifestyle, explained that a proper Sabbath can lead to lower levels of stress, rejuvenation, increased creativity, and better health. He observed a deeper connection to close relationships due to taking one day of rest a week. He also found research revealing that our brain undergoes transformation when we are resting. The part of our brain that gathers information from experience and forms new thought patterns actually goes into overdrive when we rest (Prichard). This explains why when we don’t take a day off to rest our minds tend to feel more clouded.
On Sunday my family wakes up, gets dressed for church, and piles in the car. After the service is over we spend 30 minutes talking to close friends at church. One family we talk to is using their Sunday to go to the golf course, another is spending the day catching up on much needed sleep, and yet another is going to tour a house as a family. After we leave church, we then eat lunch at Dos Bros or Chaos Mongolian Grill. Once we are home, our parents sleep for an hour or more while my younger brother plays xbox and my older brother sleeps. When everyone wakes up, we walk our two large dogs as a family. The rest of the evening is spent around the dinner table eating and talking. Then everyone goes to bed early filled and ready for the week ahead.
Sunday doesn’t force you to use it as a rest day and it isn’t hurt when you don’t choose to use it for your good, but it is always ready to bless when you do use it to rest.
Works Cited
“Average Person Spends Their Sundays Terrified of the Week Ahead.” Study Finds, 30 Sept. 2024, studyfinds.org/spend-sundays-terrified/#:~:text=With%20that%20in%20mind%2C%20Americans,going%20for%20walks%20(26%25). Accessed 23 January 2025.
Prichard, Skip. “Take a Break: The Case for Taking a Day off Each Week.” Skip Prichard Leadership Insights, 26 May 2023, skipprichard.com/take-a-break-the-case-for-taking-a-day-off-each-week/. Accessed 23 January 2025.
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