“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”
Jesus Christ (Matthew 6:24)
You might be familiar with this verse, especially if you grew up in the Christian church. I know I was. I’ve heard many sermons on it in childhood, and it was repeated throughout messages in college ministries. I never thought I would be tempted to serve money – but that’s because back then, I didn’t have any to serve.
After graduating University with degree in hand and a job lined up, within a month of my first paycheck, I started dreaming of what my money could do for me. What if I was financially independent? What if I retired early? Could my money continue to make money for me, so I didn’t have to work again? (Hint: this line of thinking sounds suspiciously similar to Luke 12:13-21)
I spent many hours a week researching, scouring r/financialindependence, reading mrmoneymustache, and listening to FIRE podcasts. I looked at my bank account balance daily, despite the only change coming from direct deposit every 2 weeks. These aren’t inherently bad things to pay attention to (and in many instances, being a proper steward of your finances is wise) – but I felt my gaze and direction move away from Jesus and toward the pursuit of money instead.
One day, as I was reading my Bible, I came across this passage:
“For six years you shall sow your field, and for six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather in its fruits, but in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath to the LORD.”
The LORD (Leviticus 25:3-4a)
From that moment on, I couldn’t get the idea of a Sabbath Year, a year of rest dedicated to the Lord, out of my head. If I put a pause on my career to rest, I realized this would reduce my faith in my company, my money, and myself – I would only have God to lean on and trust in. This could be a great way to break down idols.
I continued to get confirmation over the past 6 years. Things like church sermons, joys of a Weekly Sabbath, and conversations with pastors and trusted friends, all contributed towards this idea. Additionally, two clear signs of confirmation manifested:
- My 7th year of working would fall in the range of ~Aug 2021 to ~Sept 2022. In Year 4, I casually googled when the Jewish Sabbath Year was, and guess what? Nov 2021 – Oct 2022. Just about the same timing.
- “God will provide enough in the 6th year, for the 7th year” (Leviticus 25:20-22): As I entered my 6th year of working, one day in August 2020, my manager pulled me aside with a “Quick Connect” meeting. It turns out, I had just gotten a surprise promotion! This was additional blessing from God to enable me to do this year of rest dedicated to Him.
There are no coincidences in the Kingdom of God! And eventually, God shifted my mindset from this Sabbath Year being just a fun idea, into a clear calling for me.
In the rest of these introductory blog posts to come, I’ll detail out the biblical and historical themes of the Sabbath years through the lenses of: Rest, Release, and Remembrance. After that, I plan to write other posts on the Sabbath more generally, and practically what’s next for me.
I hope you will join me on this journey! I’m excited to share this part of my life with you, with two hopes:
- If you’re a Follower of Christ, I hope to challenge you to consider a few things:
- Contemplate the role of money in your life – where have you placed it in your list of priorities?
- If you’re not already doing it, consider making a practice out of the Weekly Sabbath – it’s been a life-giving rhythm of rest for me, and great trellis for my faith to grow on.
- See if God might be calling you to an extended time of rest! It’s a gift that I’m able to do this, but He may be calling you as well.
- Regardless of the length of time, how can we take the principles of Godly rest and apply them into our daily lives?
- If you’re not yet a Follower of Christ:
- I hope this can explain why someone might “leave” the “American Dream” (or at least de-prioritize it) to pursue a higher purpose.
- Ask yourself: what is your higher purpose? What’s guiding you in your life?
- I’d encourage you to explore making God your higher calling & higher purpose.
Thanks for joining me! I’m excited to share with you what God’s been putting on my heart, and what’s next on the journey.