“I truly believe our bodies and spirits are desperate to slow down from the frantic pace our culture sets for us today”.  Emilie Barnes,  If Teacups Could Talk, by Emilie Barnes,  p.12, Harvest House Publishers}

Frantic pace….that’s what I used to keep.  I only had one speed, 100 miles an hour.  Rest?  Sunday?  Not me…I had too much to do!

As a product of the ‘60s, on Sundays I have:
   ~Worked at my job, then on my day off “tried to” observe Sabbath Rest.
   ~Cleaned house 
   ~Sewed
   ~Washed cars, windows, clothes, kids and dogs 
   ~Traveled long distances (needing gas stations open to do so) 
   ~Shopped for …you name it! 
   ~Hosted and attended parties 
   ~Cooked large meals only to go to work Monday tired 
   ~Finished weekend “to do’s” after Church!

Just to name a few activities ~ I am sure you have your own list!  Rest was not on my to do list.

Did I justify myself?  Of course!  Because I worked outside my home, I needed to have that extra day to accomplish those “important” tasks that kept the household running smoothly through the week.

One day while dusting my Ten Commandments wall plaque, the fourth commandment caught my eye:  Honor the Sabbath Day and Keep It Holy. My exhaustion forced me to take a deeper look at God’s command.  Could this be the root of my exhaustion?

Did you know that before 1961 stores and businesses were closed on Sundays because the law required it? Athletic games were never held on a Sunday.  Little Leagues would have been considered blasphemous if they tried to schedule a practice or game on a Sunday. Those laws were repealed in 1961.

Suddenly we had a whole extra day to get things done, to recreate, Restlessness lured us to fill that Sunday afternoon “resting” time with something,  Millions of unsuspecting believers listened (and still do) to their hearts deceitfully tell them, “It will be ok to _____(fill in the blank) because that will be what I choose to help me to rest and regroup.”  Slowly but surely, we filled Sunday afternoons and now Sunday mornings with extra-curricular activities, shopping, to do lists, etc.
 
As I re-evaluated my Sunday activities through God’s Word I better understood the why of His command: 
- He wants His Name and Commands sacredly remembered by His people because as our Creator, He deserves our reverence.  He jealously wants our attention.
- He gave us laws, commands, and precepts so that in our obedience to them, we would be witnesses of His great love and power to others.
- In this world of self-gratification and evil, He only wants what is best and   what is good for His children.  Our bodies, minds and heart function better after they rest.

While God says in Exodus 31:5 to remember the Sabbath Day to keep it Holy, it soon becomes clear as we wrestle with all the temptations hurled at us, how hard it is to remember and observe this awesome command.  Maybe God was just suggesting that we rest on Sundays. No, I guess not. Proverbs 4:15 gives practical advice to overcoming the strong desires that overwhelm good intentions: 

  “Avoid it (evil {temptation}), pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away”.
 
Bluntly, the remedy for keeping the Sabbath Day holy is clear. Rest and be rejuvenated, choose to obey what God said!  If like me, you panic at the thought of giving up that extra day to run your life, trust God when He says His plans for us are “…to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

Sunday is the gift God entrusted to his children to be wise and follow His Commandment to rest, restore and regroup our hearts, minds and bodies.  My grandfather, mom and uncles farmed, laboring long and hard hours to provide for their families.  Yet they were sure to rest physically on Sunday, even if equipment needed to be fixed, and animals had to be fed.  They knew the value of recuperation.

Recently I spoke with an associate about keeping the Sabbath holy.  He said he believes that we who believe the Bible and follow the calendar that practices Sunday as the first day of the week, as well as the day we worship God in church with other believers, are fortunate because we can actually Rest First Before the Busy Week Begins!

What is so mind-boggling about that thought is, God knew that His resting on the last day after creating His world, would become a resting day on the first day of the week for the men and women He created.  He omnisciently knew our lives would become hectically out of control at some point, and prepared Sabbath Rest for us to worship Him as well as to physically, mentally, and emotionally rest.  How great is our omnipotent God! 

In our culture, many people have to work on Sunday.  Choosing a day to observe Sabbath Rest is as important to keep as it is to those who observe it on Sunday.  More so, because:
  -the corporate worship is missing,
  -the direct teaching from God’s word is missing,
  -Christian fellowship with other believers is missing.

God has even provided means of joining others in worship through DVDs, Angel TV, and CDs, and Christian literature.  There is no reason anyone who wants to couldn’t observe Sabbath Rest.   

Once you are committed to keeping the Sabbath as a day of rest, how do you change your lifestyle? It takes time but change can come when we are intentional and driven by our worldview.

My husband prepares taxes for others and had a habit before we married of doing them on Sunday.  Through the years he has trained his clients that his business hours are Monday thru Saturday.  He persevered in changing this routine, overcoming his bent toward being a creature of habit as well as a people pleaser.

We have begun to PLAN AHEAD!  We don’t buy anything on Sunday.  We plan on Saturday to enjoy the Sabbath on Sunday.  We don’t entertain on Sunday.  We would rather entertain thru the week or on Saturday, than sacrifice our “Sabbath Rest”.

Depending on the time of year, we
~build a fire in the fireplace and enjoy the quiet with a cup of tea,
~discuss the Sunday service,
~share news with each other from and about our friends. 
~talk about how the Holy Spirit enlightened the scriptures to us through our pastor and how we can practically apply them.  

We may take a nap (ah! sweet release from mental stress), or sit outside in the yard and enjoy God’s creation, talk to the neighbors, plan the week, enjoy the neighborhood children playing, take a walk through our quaint little town, or reflect, muse, daydream, and just enjoy the moments of living an abundant life~… 

~Leisure relaxation that is good for anyone in any generation, any where, any time~

 We enjoy rest.  We are guilt free from any nagging thoughts that would goad us into being busy.  We know we aren’t lazy people…we just intend to ‘remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.”
 
RESOURCES:
The Bible: Gen:2.2, Ex:16:23, 25, 29, 30
Ex. 20:8: 23:12; Ex 31:13, 14, 16, 17, 21
Lev 19:3, Lev. 23:3-32: Lev 16:29-31; Lev 24:8
Naves Topical Bible, pgs 1203-1207