I own a small business operating in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. We have a few employees and I’d like to think that I’m a likable and fair boss. We work hard when there’s work to be done. But life isn’t just about putting in long hours and making money. We’ve got to be able to sit back and enjoy what our labors have provided. I insist that my employees take at least one day off. Typically, it’s two days off but sometimes when we’re busy, we might have to dip into the weekend. But no matter how busy we are, we don’t compromise in that one day off rule. It can be argued that the six days of work are more productive because of that opportunity to rest and rejuvenate. I think my employees appreciate this. They consider it a blessing.

The Creator God put this principle in place at the very foundation of human society (see Genesis 2:3). He wrote it into Law. It is the 4th of the Ten Commandments found in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5.

Exo 20:8-11  "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.  (9)  Six days you shall labor and do all your work,  (10)  but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates.  (11)  For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

Recently I came across a comment one individual made who apparently felt burdened by the notion of being required to keep the Sabbath day. He suggested that he didn’t need to keep the weekly Sabbath because he experiences “rest in Jesus” every day. Now I think I know what he was getting at with the spiritual symbolism he was trying to use. But I can’t help coming back to a basic and fundamental problem. If Jesus gives us rest every day, when exactly are we supposed to work? How do we earn an income and provide for ourselves and our family? Conversely, if I start requiring a seven-day workweek out of my employees, but I tell them not to complain because at least they have rest in Jesus, somehow, I don’t think I’m going to keep my employees for very long.

God knew what he was doing when he gave mankind the Sabbath day off. Of all his commandments, it surprises me that this is the one that gets so much push-back. The United Church of God teaches and encourages its members to take the Sabbath day off. We meet together for fellowship and spiritual instruction. We spend time with our families. We put the cares of six workdays behind us for a short but blessed time of rest. You can learn more about the blessing of the Sabbath day by requesting your free copy of “Sunset to Sunset: God’s Sabbath Rest” from the United Church of God website. Request a hardcopy or download it today.

By Lynn Leiby

September 10, 2024