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Having the weekend off
Posted by Derrick
on
12:48
One of the major things that people who are not Christians think about us who do believe is that we are dour and don't like fun. They have this impression of miserable people who sit in their houses on a Sunday and do nothing other than visit church. There is still an idea that we are all strict sabbatarians who want everyone to be quiet and fun free on a Sunday.
When we read the New Testament, we see that Jesus has a lot to say about the Sabbath. He is often to be found with the poor and needy on a Sabbath and he is often criticised for "working" when he shouldn't be. You see, just as there are people now (both Christian and non-Christian) who misunderstand the nature of the Sabbath, there were people then as well. The Pharisees were dedicated to following every tiny detail. Even having a splinter in your finger would mean having to sit still for fear of transporting wood!
The Sabbath, which is part of the 10 Commandments, is meant to be a day of rest. It is meant to be a day when we re-connect with each other and with God. It is not meant to be a day when we do nothing in order to be seen doing nothing.
The Sabbath is, however, something that I believe in deeply. I am a strict follower of the Sabbath. I do the Sabbath in a different way though. A few years ago, when I came back to Jesus after a couple of years away, I wanted to be able to give Sundays to him. I wanted a day off work a week and I wanted to dedicate that day to God and to my family as it grew. I remember distinctly praying for all my work to be completed by Saturday night so that I could have the Sunday off. God, in his wonderful grace, helped me get it all complete by the Friday.
Ever since then, I have always refused to do any work for my job on Saturdays. I am happy to work on a Sunday evening but I am not going to do any work on a Saturday. That is a day for me to spend time with my wife and kids and for us to spend time with God as well. It doesn't matter what I have to do, come midnight on Friday that's me done.
This is the point where I am supposed to say that it hasn't always been easy but, you know what, it has been. I have found that whatever we give to God he will give back to us tenfold, a hundredfold and even more.
Having a sabbath means resting and recharging one's batteries. It means having a day when you can forget all the major stresses of your work week and enjoy time with the Lord. I highly recommend it.
When we read the New Testament, we see that Jesus has a lot to say about the Sabbath. He is often to be found with the poor and needy on a Sabbath and he is often criticised for "working" when he shouldn't be. You see, just as there are people now (both Christian and non-Christian) who misunderstand the nature of the Sabbath, there were people then as well. The Pharisees were dedicated to following every tiny detail. Even having a splinter in your finger would mean having to sit still for fear of transporting wood!
The Sabbath, which is part of the 10 Commandments, is meant to be a day of rest. It is meant to be a day when we re-connect with each other and with God. It is not meant to be a day when we do nothing in order to be seen doing nothing.
The Sabbath is, however, something that I believe in deeply. I am a strict follower of the Sabbath. I do the Sabbath in a different way though. A few years ago, when I came back to Jesus after a couple of years away, I wanted to be able to give Sundays to him. I wanted a day off work a week and I wanted to dedicate that day to God and to my family as it grew. I remember distinctly praying for all my work to be completed by Saturday night so that I could have the Sunday off. God, in his wonderful grace, helped me get it all complete by the Friday.
Ever since then, I have always refused to do any work for my job on Saturdays. I am happy to work on a Sunday evening but I am not going to do any work on a Saturday. That is a day for me to spend time with my wife and kids and for us to spend time with God as well. It doesn't matter what I have to do, come midnight on Friday that's me done.
This is the point where I am supposed to say that it hasn't always been easy but, you know what, it has been. I have found that whatever we give to God he will give back to us tenfold, a hundredfold and even more.
Having a sabbath means resting and recharging one's batteries. It means having a day when you can forget all the major stresses of your work week and enjoy time with the Lord. I highly recommend it.
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