A Little Rest and Relaxation
Bible Reading: Matthew 6:19-24
You cannot serve both God and money. Matthew 6:24
“Okay. I get the point that I can’t toss out the front half of my Bible or the commands it contains,” Kalli said. “But look at the Ten Commandments. A Christian friend and I had a big blowup about the fourth commandment—the one about ‘keeping the Sabbath holy.’ Does it mean that I’m sinning if I do homework on Sunday? Or if I make somebody else work because I eat out—or watch Sunday afternoon football? My friend said the Bible says we can’t work or even do homework on Sundays.”
Here’s the first half of an answer. Christians today aren’t required to follow the Old Testament Sabbath law. In fact, it’s the only one of the Ten Commandments not repeated in the New Testament. Following that law would mean halting all work between sundown Friday and sundown Saturday. That’s the Jewish Sabbath.
But here’s the second half of the answer. The moral principle behind the law was kept by the early Christians who reserved the first day of the week—Sunday—for rest and worship (see Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2; Revelation 1:10).
So glue those two parts together: You don’t have to obey the Old Testament Sabbath law, but you should reserve one day each week for rest and worship (see Hebrews 10:25).
Sunday works because that’s when most Christian church services are held. Christians who can’t escape work on Sunday should take part of Sunday or another day for worship and rest. They can attend the Saturday evening services that many churches now have.
And that isn’t just a good idea for grown-ups. If you’re a student, school is your job. So God wants you to figure out how to keep homework from crowding out the time for worship and rest he wants to give you.
Now, you’re probably sweating about those football players forced to work on Sundays because you want to crash on the couch in front of a good game. Well, you aren’t sinning by watching ball games, running around in the yard, eating in a restaurant, or going shopping on Sunday. If the people serving you want to obey God, they will choose another day of the week for rest and worship. If they don’t, that’s their choice, not yours.
God wants you to experience a once-a-week special focus on him. He also wants rest for you. And that worship and rest is a gift to you!
TALK: What do you think of a God who wants you to take time each week to rest and worship? Is that a loving gift or what?
PRAY: God, thanks that you love us so much you want us to rest and worship you.
ACT: What do you do as a family to make Sunday (or another day) a day of worship and rest?