Thursday, March 4

Reflection – Georgette Scott

Fear, guilt and stress – in my opinion the three predominant forces dictating our behavior in today’s society. We fear for our jobs, our safety, our families, our finances, our future. We feel guilty we don’t have more time to be better parents, better care-givers to our own aging parents, better workers, better friends. We are all so over-burdened with tasks and responsibilities we stress over what we should do with the time we do have, then stress over how we might get to the things that didn’t make the “A” list. Most of us don’t eat right, don’t sleep right, and don’t treat ourselves (body, mind, and soul) right. But solace is found in the fact that just about everyone we know is in the same boat. It’s just how life is in the 21^st century.

I believe honoring the Sabbath is the way up and out of this downward spiral. God emphatically established a Sabbath by including it in the commandments given Moses. It mirrored the seventh day of creation when God himself rested after all he had done creating the universe.

It was not to be simply a “day off” for us, it was to be honored, hallowed, and considered holy. No work was to done by you, your servants, the guests in your gates. In other words, it was to be taken quite seriously. Your mind, body, and soul were to be quiet, at rest, so you could commune with your creator and the universe around you.

On the other hand, Jesus made it clear that we should not go to the other extreme and deify the Sabbath either. This means that there are sometimes circumstances that intrude on keeping the Sabbath. My Mom and sister are both nurses, working on Sunday, the Christian Sabbath, is necessary and understandable for them. Many other professions require Sunday work. I’m quite confident these workers are not incurring the wrath of God. So what about the commandment to keep the Sabbath holy? Is it simply out-dated ?

I believe we have been asked in no uncertain terms to carve out a day (at the very least, most of one) to put aside the work, the tasks, the responsibilities that consume our lives. But how do we do that today without fear there will be serious repercussions for such “idleness,” without guilt over all the things that we “should” be doing, without stressing over the fact we won’t get this time back and may simply be digging ourself a deeper hole? We do that by celebrating the Sabbath with FAITH.

Faith that God really knows what is best for you, for mankind; his creation. Faith that what he said back then is still to be honored today. Faith that he is truly omnipotent and would not tell us to do something (weekly!) that would harm us, our lives, in any way. Faith that we need quiet times, so we can hear Him speak to our hearts to better understand the paths He wants us to take. Faith will help you keep a Sabbath; and, trust me, a Sabbath will keep you sane and serene.