8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
The fourth commandment may seem like the most difficult to translate into our modern world. Thou shalt not kill translates fairly easily into every culture, but how does the Sabbath command connect with the non-stop nature of the western world?
Actually, it’s not as hard as it looks. While much can be said about this directive, one clear reality is that this command reminds us of our dependence on God. Our workaholic tendencies reveal our need to do everything we can to make our lives work. We can’t do enough, yet refuse to stop until we’ve done all we know to do.
The Sabbath command offers not only the rest and reflection we need to be healthy, but it demonstrates that God is truly our Source. Like the Israelites who couldn’t collect manna on the Sabbath or the command to give a tenth to God even when we think we need it all, we need to learn about God’s faithfulness when we obey Him and trust Him as our Provider.
If you’re living a seven-day pace, isn’t it time to consider why? If the answer is, “I have to.” what does that mean? Are we living by our own strength or truly in a relationship with our amazing Creator? Obeying the Sabbath isn’t just about getting some much needed rest, it’s proof that we are trusting in God and not in ourselves.
– Dr. Mike Clarensau serves as Senior Director of the Healthy Church Network of the Assemblies of God.
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