“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns." ~ Exodus 20:8-10 NIV
In Exodus 20, God set up the Sabbath for His children for a reason. He knew that things like rest, margin, and dependence on Him would ultimately lead to better, more thriving lives for believers.
As author and pastor Pete Scazzero often says, our greatest and highest calling is to commune and be in fellowship with God. All the other things on our to-do list are extra, nice-to-do’s. But we should be clear, they are NOT have-to-do’s.
It doesn’t matter what it is, it doesn’t matter what culture you live in or work in, nothing HAS to be done today. There are preferences, traditions, and man-made deadlines imposed on our lives, but they are just that – man-made preferences, traditions, and deadlines.
What does God call us to do? The answer is found in Matthew 22:36-40. We are to love God and love others. Point blank period.
If you find yourself stressed out today, ask yourself: am I doing the things that God is calling me to do? Or is my schedule filled up with nice things that ultimately could be put off for simply communing with Him?
God bless,
J.W.
