I saw a tweet the other day from a pastor I respect, and I have not been able to get away from it. I keep thinking about the short phrase he cast out to the ‘net, and the Holy Spirit keeps stirring up a conviction within me. Why? I have been breaking one of the Ten Commandments.
This is a good kind of conviction because in being obedient to God I know that other areas of my life will fall into their proper place. Strangely, I feel joyous and relieved to become so aware of this sin as I never realized how much this one in particular rule mattered. In hindsight that seems foolish because when we read the list of God’s commandments in Exodus 20 they are all given equal weight and importance. There is no mention of a free pass for whichever rule we think is inconvenient, or a footnote that the odd number rules were more serious than the even numbered ones. All 10 are to be honored and obeyed. I feel like sometimes we pick and choose how or when to obey God, and determine the seriousness of His commandments based on how it impacts our lifestyle or happiness.
Anyone who knows me knows that I really love to work. I’ve been that way my entire adult life, whether it was working for large national companies or owning my own small business. I’m thankful that I love not only the art of working, but also that I’ve been able to do the type of work that I enjoy. Running a small business (as I do) in an industry that I am passionate about can become consuming and rewarding, but also extremely exhausting. The latter is something I often suffer from, and being so deeply engaged in business operations can leave me depleted and lacking energy, clarity and creativity, which is not good for me or for my business.
Thankfully, God knows best and already set up the perfect solution of rest and rejuvenation for my weary body, mind and soul … I just had to look up to find it.
Exodus 20:8-11 (NLT)
Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.
In every week, we are to work for 6 days and rest for 1 day. Our bodies and minds need a break from the grind. It’s simple, but oddly something I never contemplated until I saw that fateful tweet of a pastor relaxing as he rested on his own Sabbath day.
So, beginning this week, I will not do any work for my profession on one day of every week. I will not check my work email. I will not ship orders. I will not be on work social media accounts. I will not do accounting. (Thank you, Jesus for that one!) I will not budget, plan, brainstorm or even think about my work. I will honor the Sabbath. Commandment #4.
I am putting my fate where my faith is. Not in my own abilities, but in God. After all, 6 days of my work with God is much greater than 7 days of my work without God.
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