"And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day; For verily this is a day appointed unto you to rest from your labors, and to pay thy devotions unto the Most High."
— Doctrine & Covenants 59:9-10
How many of us truly keep the Sabbath day holy? Do we even know what that means anymore?
When the children of Israel were delivered from Egypt, the Lord God gave them this commandment concerning the Sabbath day —
"Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates."
— Exodus 20:8-10
Many may think, "I keep the Sabbath day holy because I go to church." But what about after you go to church? Do you go shopping? Do you go out to eat with family? Do you go watch or participate in sports events? Do you spend your day online or watching TV programs?
Which of these activities worships the Lord? The answer is none of them. The Sabbath was made so we can spend our time worshipping the Lord, learning His gospel, and serving others. It is not a day to spend working, inside or outside our homes, and it is not a day to make others work for us.
Think of the store employees where you shop on Sunday. Think of the waiter at the restaurant where you have Sunday brunch. They cannot keep the Sabbath day holy because they have to work for YOU. In a way, you are turning them into your manservant or maidservant the Lord spoke of.
I could spend all day listing do's and don'ts for appropriate Sabbath activity. But in reality, all any of us has to do is answer one simple question — Do my Sabbath activities help me and others think of and worship God?
Spencer W. Kimball said, "Sometimes Sabbath observance is characterized as a matter of sacrifice and self-denial, but it is not so. It is merely a matter of scheduling and choosing seasons. There is time enough, particularly in our era of the world’s history, during the six days of the week in which to do our work and play. Much can be done to organize and encourage weekday activities, avoiding the Sabbath."
"To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven."
— Ecclesiastes 3:1
There is a time and season to do everything. The Sabbath day is the "season" of worship and service. Everything else can be done the rest of the week. The Sabbath day is a gift from God for us to rest and rejuvenate our bodies and spirits. Take this opportunity to accept God's gift and use it as it was meant to be.
Good post. I have realized my need to keep the Sabbath holy. I pay attention to grocery shopping being completed on Saturday, and i am trying to organize Sunday meals on Saturday evening. I also look at the gas tank, making sure that we have sufficient in the tank to get to church. The result is more time to focus on the Lord.
ReplyDeleteSuch a nice post.
ReplyDeleteSabbath is a gift, and it's hard to rest. But when we do, how much better we feel! And we start the week off rested and at peace, ready for whatever the week throws at us!
ReplyDeleteGod knew what we needed - so glad for the Sabbath!
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate what you shared and I totally agree. And I really liked that you mentioned the issue of eating out because I am married to a waiter. Yes, they need a Sabbath too. [o=
ReplyDeleteBlessings in Him<><
-Mary
Most of our Sundays are slow and restful. But depending on church responsibilities, sometimes they can feel hectic, especially on days when I teach Sunday school, and run the worship computer, etc. But our Sunday afternoons and evenings are generally quite restful, and we are grateful for that.
ReplyDeleteWe do need to rethink our time spent on Sundays. Attending church is a given, but as you say, how do we spend the afternoon. Perhaps a good nap would be nice and then spend the evening viewing the skyline and the sunset and worshiping our Lord. Thank you for sharing at Tell me a Story.
ReplyDeleteGreat enlightening post! Thank you for sharing and linking up! Blessings!
ReplyDeleteI have to admit that I have felt freedom from the Lord to eat out on Sunday and fellowship with my church family.
ReplyDeleteBut I know that there are some people who won't even cook on Sunday because it's "work." I suppose it depends on what you define as work and where God is calling you to. I imagine they wouldn't go into a field such as hospital or police work because of that need to work on Sunday, nor being a pastor.
However, I love that you are reminding us to remember what this day is for. A day to worship our Lord in praise and worship, and fellowship with other believers! Thanks for linking up today.