How the Incarnation and Sabbath Root Us in God’s Joy

A few days ago, I shared why I care so deeply about noticing, rest, creative play, and even coloring pages that help you slow down. We live in a world that is heavy with grief, stress, and noise. When Jesus says He came to give us life, and life abundantly(John 10:10), I believe that rest and play, especially contemplative, gentle play, are ways we begin to live that kind of life, even now.

When we make space, practice presence, play with reflection, and create with joy, we grow in intimacy with God. These small practices are not about escaping life, but becoming more fully alive to it with Him!

But I want to take this one step further, because there are two deep theological truths that make all of this not just comforting but profoundly Christian: the Incarnation and Sabbath.

The Incarnation, the mystery of God becoming human in Jesus, is the foundation of why noticing and play matter. In Jesus, God took on a body, lived in time and space, experienced touch, sound, story, community, and even delight.

“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” (John 1:14)

This means that God doesn’t ask us to meet Him only in serious thoughts, but He also meets us in the stuff of everyday life. He affirms that physical things can carry grace. When we slow down and pay attention to the ordinary, we’re not being “less spiritual.” We’re stepping into the heart of the Gospel: that God is with us, not just above us. That God loves us in our ordinary and small humanity, not despite it.

If the Incarnation shows us that God enters our ordinary world, Sabbath teaches us how to live in that world with joy, trust, and peace. Sabbath isn’t just a day off or a break from work, but a way of remembering who we are and who God is. It’s a practice of ceasing, resting, delighting, and trusting.

“On the seventh day God rested from all His work.” (Genesis 2:2)

“The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27)

When we play, rest, notice beauty, or create something just for the joy of it, we’re participating in that same rhythm, a holy resistance to the lie that our worth comes from productivity. But we are not machines. We are beloved children of God.

And Sabbath is how we remember that.

To notice, to rest, to play with gentle presence… these are not soft distractions from “real faith.” They are expressions of real faith. Because the Incarnation tells us that God meets us in the ordinary and Sabbath teaches us to live in joyful, trusting rhythm with Him.

So if you find yourself weary, or wondering if these small practices matter, remember:
They are sacred.
They are grounded in the life of Jesus.
And they lead us into the abundance He promised.