Exodus 20:8-11
Remember that the Sabbath Day belongs
to me. You have six days when you can do your work, but the seventh day
of each week belongs to me, your God. No one is to work on that day—not
you, your children, your slaves, your animals, or the foreigners who
live in your towns. In six days I made the sky, the earth, the oceans,
and everything in them, but on the seventh day I rested. That’s why I
made the Sabbath a special day that belongs to me.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I’m
going to be honest with you. I don’t attend worship every single
Sunday. Sometimes I am not feeling well…sometimes in the winter the
weather is too icy…and sometimes, I just don’t go. When Greg and I were
still business owners, we often had to work on Sundays. We had
deadlines to meet…work that had to get done. And as business owners and
the only two employees for many years, the workload fell on our
shoulders - regardless of what day the calendar showed.
Do not
judge me! I understand fully the significance of the Sabbath…and even
on my busiest day – or the days when I “play hooky,” I try to spend time
with God…to listen for His voice, study His word...and to reflect on
what He has in store for me. Sometimes, we all need to sit quietly and
let God fill us…whether we’re sitting on a pew in a church sanctuary –
or on our couch or back porch, drinking a cup of coffee. There are
times when God wants us to simply be still and take a breather…from
EVERYTHING!
Here’s the thing…attending a worship service every
Sunday morning and/or evening (or both) does not make us superior
Christians…or even mean that we are truly living “in God’s will.” I
believe that corporate worship is important…that we demonstrate to
others our desire to humbly come before God and worship Him as a body of
believers…to learn more about His word, how He works, and His missions.
I believe that fellowship with others is important…both for those who
are born-again Christians, those who may be seeking God - and those who
don’t have a clue who God is, much less that they need Him in their
lives.
I also believe that some use the Sabbath to make a point
rather than to make a difference. For some, Sunday is the day to put on
a show and give others the impression that we are good, faithful, and
pleasing to God…while in truth, we may be none of these things. In our
heart, we may not be seeking a deeper relationship with God and
communion with other believers. We may be hoping to impress everyone
with our appearance (in every sense of this word), our presence in the
choir or as an usher (or simply filling a pew)…and going through the
motions of worship for an hour or so.
We do need to give God our
time and attention! We do need to take a breath, sit quietly, and let
Him fill us – and we need to do this often! We need to recognize God’s
power and supremacy…to acknowledge all that He has created…to humble
ourselves before Him and seek His presence – and His voice. We need to
spend time worshipping God…and getting our “marching orders!” We need to
fellowship with others - without a personal agenda or ulterior
motives.
The God who did so much for us deserves our full time
and attention on a regular basis. The Sabbath is a great day for
this...but it’s not the only day. The important thing is how we spend
time with God…rather than when…and how often this happens. Are you
making quality time for God in your life…resting in Him and creating an
atmosphere in which He can truly speak to you? Don’t you think it’s
time you did?
©2015 Debbie Robus
No comments:
Post a Comment