The Sabbath Blessing (Part 3)

A time of reflection.
A time of quiet.
A time of remembering.

The Sabbath is more than just about going to church. I don’t say that lightly because I think going to church is obviously a very important aspect about the Sabbath. It’s a time to reflect. A time to worship the One who brought us into church and the One who saved us by grace. What a fitting place to worship the One in His house!

The Sabbath is also about reflecting. On the Israelites journey, God had asked there to be memorial stones set up in order for others to remember what He had done. A pile of rocks signified God’s goodness and was a reminder to future generations of God’s faithfulness. Really, the only memorial stones that are set up now, are of those who have gone on – at a graveyard or alongside a road, marking where God took someone Home.

What if we took time to set up “memorial stones” in our own lives like the leaders of the Israelites did back in the day? Sunday is a time to think about those milestones – the moments where God spoke to you, where God challenged you, and where you could feel God working in and through you. What if we all spent more time reflecting on those moments?

This is where Sunday is so vital. Sunday reminds us of our journey with Christ. Sunday reminds us of where He has taken us. Sunday reminds us of the week ahead and our utter need for His hand in our lives. We need to take time to reflect.

So what does that look like?

A conversation. The beauty of being part of the body of Christ, is that we have the chance to fellowship with other believers. What if you sat down with someone and asked them about their spiritual journey? About their life? About what is REALLY going on in their life? Often times we are too busy for that – sounds harsh, but isn’t that what goes through our minds sometimes? What if we took the time to hear about other’s journeys – of the memorial stones they have set up in their life where they could see God working in them?

A notebook. I know the thought of journaling for some is overwhelming and just outright not appealing. I understand that. Then I would encourage you to find another way to write down those moments where you see God. On our mission trips throughout the years, Dan, every evening for devotions, always asks “where did you see God today?” God is EVERYWHERE at EVERY EVENT, in EVERY MOMENT. How often, though, do we not take time to take Him in? We end up sitting in silence at times with not many people raising their hands in response to the question. It’s hard. Writing down those moments of where you could really feel God working in you and changing you, are things that will only encourage the future generations. This is one of the main reasons why I blog – to show God’s glory – to tell of what He is doing in our life. I sound like a broken record, but EVERYONE has a story. Don’t be afraid to tell it. A blog may not be the avenue for you – that is so okay. But find your avenue to tell your story.

Time to rest and just be. You could sit on a park bench. Sit in the middle of your lawn (though your neighbors might wonder), lay on your bed, whatever. Take time to just reflect. Take time to THINK! Novel idea, I know, but how often do we just go about our daily tasks and forget the purpose and forget to THINK? Pausing to think is not a sin – sitting idle is not a sin in and of itself. It’s what we do with it that matters – take time to reflect.

I hope these thoughts on the Sabbath have caused you to think and reflect. The Sabbath is a gift, yet we treat it as a day of judgment. The very day that we should all be ONE, is the very day that we separate ourselves in comparing, judging, and assuming. That is not what God designed our Sabbath to be. He designed it out of pure LOVE for us, to free us of the burdens of the week, and a whole DAY to reflect on Him. Dan and I are NOT perfect. We fall into MANY of the same traps I have talked about. We too, are at the foot of the cross, in repentance. Lets join together and be the united body that Christ has designed us to be and may the way we treat our Sabbath, be a reflection and love offering back to Him.