The Daily CHEW™
Chew on God’s Love. Live Transformed. Multiply Hope.
Sunday mornings in my Dominican family were always about gathering—abuela’s café, the smell of mangú, and everyone talking at once about the week that was. But somewhere between building my practice and managing endless client needs, my Sabbaths started feeling more like administrative catch-up days than celebrations of God’s faithfulness. I find myself doing tasks that have elements of Bible studying—like writing blogs to justify the work (repenting now as I write)—rather than simply resting in gratitude for how God has carried me through it all.
Maybe you know this tension too. You set aside time for Sabbath rest, but your mind keeps drifting to what didn’t get finished, emails that need responses, or projects waiting for Monday morning. You find yourself doing “spiritual” work—reading, studying, even praying—but really you’re performing rather than resting, producing rather than receiving. The joy of simply celebrating God’s goodness gets crowded out by the anxiety of an unfinished to-do list, and rest feels more like another item to check off than a gift to receive.
The deeper ache isn’t about better time management or finding the perfect Sabbath rhythm—it’s about wanting to experience God’s love as enough, right now, without anything that needs to be accomplished first. When we turn Sabbath into productivity, even spiritual productivity, we miss the radical Gospel truth that God’s love for us never depended on our output, and His rest is a celebration of His work, not ours.
Join me. Let’s pause for a CHEW—a gentle, 3-5 minute way to return to the heart of Sabbath as God’s gift of love, not another spiritual performance we need to master.
CHEW in 3-5 Minutes:
- Take three deep breaths—slowly releasing the week’s pressures and remembering that God’s love for you never depended on how productive you were today.
- Adore: “Father, You love me right now, before anything is accomplished. You delight in me not because of what I produce, but because of who You are.”
- Confess: “What am I actually feeling right now? What’s under the surface?” (Choose one Gospel promise that speaks directly to what you just confessed, or browse these targeted categories to find the biblical truth your heart most needs right now.)
- Where am I feeling anxious about unfinished work or tomorrow’s responsibilities?
- When did I last experience true rest without guilt or mental planning?
- What am I afraid will happen if I truly stop and just receive Your love?
- Hear: “What truth or promise from God do I most need?”
- “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28)
- “It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep” (Psalm 127:2)
- “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy… for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day” (Exodus 20:8, 11)
- Exchange: If I really believed God’s love is abundant and celebrates giving me rest as His gift, how would that change my tendency to turn Sabbath into another workday and my habit of feeling guilty when I’m not producing something?
- I would exchange productivity anxiety for trust in God’s provision.
- I would exchange guilt about resting for gratitude for His care.
- I would exchange the need to justify rest with “spiritual” work for simply receiving His love.
- Walk: What’s one small action I’ll take as a next step, living from His love?
- Choose one thing I’ll stop doing today to make space for real rest
- Set a boundary around work thoughts and return to gratitude when they arise
- Plan one simple way to celebrate God’s goodness without any agenda
- Thanksgiving & Worship:
- Thank God for His steadfast love—even if choosing rest feels awkward or unproductive.
- End by re-focusing your heart on God’s kindness and faithfulness this week, not on what still needs to be done.
The CHEW works because it reminds us that Sabbath isn’t another spiritual discipline to master but God’s weekly invitation to remember that His love comes first, and everything else flows from there. Growth isn’t measured by how much we accomplish on our day off, but by how often we return to the truth that we are beloved before we are productive.
Growth isn’t instant; every honest return to rest in God’s love—instead of our own efforts—is a win. God delights in your presence and trust, not your Sabbath performance or spiritual productivity.
CHEW On This™:
If I really believed God’s love is abundant and celebrates giving me rest as His gift, how would that change my tendency to turn Sabbath into another workday and my habit of feeling guilty when I’m not producing something?
Try this CHEW tomorrow, in a group, or as part of your weekly Sabbath rhythm. Subscribe to The Daily CHEW™ and get God’s love from your head to your heart every day.
Ready for lasting transformation?
Learn how to make CHEWing a daily rhythm in CHEW Groups and beyond.
Chew on God’s Love. Live Transformed. Multiply Hope.
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