Protecting the Sabbath

Jesus tells us in Mark 2 that the Sabbath was made to meet the needs of the people.  When I reflect on that statement, what strikes me is as people, how often the things that are meant for our benefit, we use to our detriment.  How many of God's commands are meant to protect us, keep us, and save us, yet we ignore them as though they are outdated.  We act in a way that says to God, "You don't know the culture we live in, the demands we face, the things we must accomplish." Then, I'm reminded when I'm tempted to offer a rebuttal to God instead of listening to Him, His words in Malachi, "I am the Lord, and I do not change."

The 4th commandment God gave to Moses was "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy." But further more He continues: "Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God."

While this message may have originated in the OT, and while people may want to offer a thousand reasons to you why you shouldn't worry about a Sabbath, God is still concerned with our rest.  He is so concerned that he gave us a commandment to do it and later in the NT Jesus upholds the commandment and expands on it and tells us that the Sabbath isn't for God's benefit or the Sabbath's benefit, but it is for our benefit.

When Dale and I got married, we had many discussions about many things. The Sabbath wasn't really one of them.  I knew he refused to mow grass on Sunday (which I thought was silly) but didn't know until a couple years later why.  Honestly, where we are with it we fell into and then once we got here, soaking it in weekly, we started talking about it and I realized that he had been convicted about how he spent his Sunday's since a lawn mower incident on a Sunday many years ago. As the years have passed, life has gotten busier, and we've started a family, we have made some definite decisions about how we honor our Sabbath and it centers around three priorities.  Our friends have noticed this about our family and you can always be sure that if you complain to me about how busy your weekends are, or how stressed you feel on Monday, that I am going to ask about how you spend your Sabbath, your Sunday, your 7th day, and encourage you to protect it because it's important enough that God commands you to do it.  While I understand that not everyone's Sabbath can be a Sunday (clearly church personnel fall into this category among many other working Americans), it is still possible and important to chose your day to devote to the Sabbath. 

Priority #1  WORSHIP

On Sunday mornings, you can be certain of where the Hall Family is.  We are at church.  Weekly worship is our first priority.  If we are out of town, we visit a local church.  If we are at the lake, we go Friday night and all day Saturday so we can be home Sunday for church.  If someone has a headache, a belly ache, a sniffly nose, we are at church.  Basically, unless you are dying, you are at worship on Sunday morning.  If you would get up and push through to go to work, you go to church.  (Obviously sick kids change the game but in this instance one parent stays home and one goes for us.) This may sound militant but we're talking about spending an hour or two sometimes worshiping our Creator! The one who's breath is in our lungs allowing us to even wake up and go. God deserves our worship.  God created us for community. Our pastor once commented that the world beats us up 6 days a week, we need Sunday to refresh and feed us. That is one of those quotes that I never have trouble remembering because it is so true and I'm reminded of it weekly.  By time Sunday rolls around, I need me some Jesus.  I need a chance to go sit still for an hour and praise Him with my voice and learn about Him more in ways that change me.  Worship is not an obligation, it is a privilege.

Priority #2  FAMILY

God gave us family.  Spending time together as a family is where we build memories, reflect on our week, discuss what God has been teaching us, how it changes us, and how we can apply it to our lives as individuals and as a whole.  It allows for conversation that can hold us accountable to each other.  Some Sundays our Sabbath is spent as our family of 3, and sometimes its spent with our extended family.  Either is perfect, and different weeks call for different needs.  What family doesn't need a day to spend together without outside distractions in this crazy busy world we live in? I don't know one family who wouldn't benefit from a day together. Satan hates families and wants nothing more than to rip them apart, what a more perfect way to do so than to keep them too busy for each other 7 days a week?

Priority #3 REST

Resting as a family is important just like worshiping as a family is. Our work and the world around us has a place and Christians need to remember they are in charge of putting those things in their place.  Your work won't do it for you.  The world won't do it for you.  They will suck every single ounce out of you and then a little bit extra for good measure.  Your family, your home, your body needs a day with no to do list (Moms-I'm talking to you), no pressure, and no plans.

So how do you make this happen? What is the practical application for this elusive Sabbath? For our family it is this:

• Worship every single week, no exceptions.  
• No plans on Sundays that don't involve us as a whole family.  
• Spend quality time together eating, reading, napping, watching a movie, going to a park, playing outside, riding bikes, afternoon drives, getting ice cream, family dinners and many more.

We avoid any plans that tie us down, dinners with friends, group activities, anything that will potentially rush our Sunday, have us going separate directions, and taking away from our rest together. The exception to this for us is the occasional celebrations that are important such as baby & bridal showers, fellowship lunches right after church, or any other unavoidable, agreed upon activity. 

Two Sundays ago as I was making lunch I couldn't hear Brooks and Dale was outside. In a moment of panic from a silent toddler, I went looking for him.  The house was silent and he was sitting on the couch reading a book. I captured the moment and silently prayed that we would continue with our protection of this day his whole life so he would never depart from it and would know how important it is that we honor God's command on this day. 

Then this past Sunday, I snapped this sweet view from the couch I was laying on so I could capture this moment between Father & Son as they chatted and rested together.

I see it floating around on Pinterest often and it sticks with me and so I'll close with this...

A Sunday well spent, brings a week of content.