---
title: "A Theology of Rest: What Summer Can Teach Us About Sabbath"
date: 2026-06-25
author: "Laurie Stroud"
featured_image: "https://birminghamchristian.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/bigstock-Happy-family-and-friends-roast-279623311.jpg"
categories:
  - name: "Parenting"
    url: "/category/news/family/parenting.md"
tags:
  - name: "Featured"
    url: "/tag/featured.md"
---

# A Theology of Rest: What Summer Can Teach Us About Sabbath

**Parenting Points**

Summer often arrives with great expectations, from vacations to camps to lists of desired activities. Even during a season designed for slowing down, many families find themselves just as busy as the rest of the year. Calendars fill quickly, and rest can become another item on the to-do list. But Scripture offers a different vision: rest not as an interruption to life, but as a gift from God.

From the opening pages of the Bible, we see the rhythm of work and rest established by God Himself. After six days of creation, God rested not because He was tired, but because He was modeling a pattern of completion, delight, and trust (Genesis 2:2–3). Sabbath reminds us that our value is not found in productivity but in belonging to God. Rest reminds us that God is in control, and we are not. Summer can become an opportunity for families to rediscover this rhythm. Sabbath is more than taking a day off. It is intentionally creating space to pause, worship, enjoy God’s presence, and reconnect with one another. It is choosing rest with purpose. In a culture that celebrates constant activity, Sabbath quietly reminds us that we do not have to earn our worth through busyness.

Practicing Sabbath as a family does not need to be complicated. It may mean setting aside a few hours each week to unplug from screens and schedules. It could include sharing an unrushed meal, reading Scripture together outdoors, taking a prayer walk, worshiping as a family, or simply enjoying God’s creation without an agenda. Children especially benefit from learning that rest is not laziness but trust. When families model healthy rhythms of work and rest, children begin to understand that God designed us to live with margin, not exhaustion.

Summer is also a time for families to cultivate a deeper relationship with Jesus amid our rest. Jesus invited His followers, saying, *“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”* (Matthew 11:28 ESV). Rest is an invitation for spiritual as well as physical renewal. As your family moves through the summer months, consider making space for Sabbath. Leave room for slow mornings, meaningful conversations, shared laughter, and moments with God. You may discover that in resting well, your family is not stepping away from what matters most but stepping closer to it.

*[![Ben Birdsong](https://birminghamchristian.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Ben-Birdsong-300x200.jpeg "Ben Birdsong")](https://birminghamchristian.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Ben-Birdsong-scaled.jpeg)-Dr. Ben Birdsong*

*Director of European Expansion for First Priority Global Ministries*

[*www.benbirdsong.com*](http://www.benbirdsong.com)