Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Priorities Part 7, The Final Chapter : Sweet Sabbath

1) God
2) Husband
3) Children/Immediate Family
4) Service
5) Work/Home
6) Friends
7) Rest/Refreshment

It seems appropriate that my last blog in this series is on Rest/Refreshment.  We know that "On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work." - Genesis 2:2.  How do you and your family honor a Sabbath day of rest?

I was a busy child, involved in several sports and activities, even in the same season.  Likewise, I am a busy adult.  I didn't learn how to do downtime as a kid, and it wasn't until my late twenties that I started to recognize that it was important for my well being.  I tend to go full speed until I crash and burn.  I've been inconsistent with honoring the Sabbath as a day of rest, praise and prayer.  I want my son to grow up honoring the Sabbath.  He needs that time to rest, seek the Lord and refresh.  We all do.

The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of the people, not people to meet the needs of the Sabbath. - Mark 2:27 NLT

God's way is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. - Galatians 5:22-23.  Oh, how I want that to be my way, too!  I want it to be my family's way. But when we are rushing here and there all week and through Sunday, I feel the furthest thing from God's way.  I feel hurried, stressed, impatient, irritated and most definitely not in control! 



We are called to "Follow God's example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just  as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." - Ephesians 5:1-2.  As God rested, so should we!  And, so should our children.  Let's teach them to honor God's gift of a sweet Sabbath rest so that they don't have to teach themselves. 

If you watch your step on the Sabbath and don't use my holy day for personal advantage, if you treat the Sabbath as a day of joy, God's holy day as a celebration, if you honor it by refusing "business as usual", making $, running here and there, then you'll be free to enjoy God!  Oh, I'll make you ride and soar above it all.  I'll make you feast on the inheritance of your ancestor Jacob.  Yes!  God says so! (Isaiah 58:13-14 MSG)

Though the words above are mine, except for God's of course, this content was taken from Lysa Terkeurst's, Unglued.  In this study, she poses the following three questions to ask yourself on the Sabbath:

1) Where am I going my own way right now?
2) What area of my life is more self-pleasing than God-pleasing?
3) What idle words need to be reined in from running rampant in my mind or spilling from my lips?

If you and your family have been a little slack concerning the Sabbath, will you join me in committing to honoring God and blessing yourself and your family with a sweet Sabbath rest this week?  Perhaps, you could use the above questions (adapted appropriately based on the age of your kiddos) to come together as a family after some one on one time with God.  I pray you will be refreshed and blessed for your obedience!




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