Sabbath and Rest: Augustine on Rest in God

Augustine's entire theology can be read as a meditation on rest. "You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You." For Augustine, all human striving, anxiety, and labor point to a fundamental displacement: we are made for God, and until we find our rest in Him, nothing else will satisfy.

In the final book of the Confessions, Augustine meditates on the seventh day of creation: "Lord God, grant us peace, for You have given us all things -- the peace of rest, the peace of the Sabbath, which has no evening." The Sabbath without evening is the eternal rest toward which all earthly Sabbaths point. Each weekly rest is a rehearsal for and a participation in the ultimate rest that God promises.

Practical application: On your Sabbath day, practice doing nothing productive for at least two hours. No chores, no errands, no email, no self-improvement projects. Simply rest -- read for pleasure, walk without destination, sit in the sun, play with children. Augustine teaches that rest is not laziness but trust: it declares that the world does not depend on your constant effort.