1 - Introduction - Living like a real Christian The Sabbath | Page 6

Thirdly, rest for humanity does not come at the end of our labour. Rest is the position
from which we start. Note that in Genesis 1 we read the words “And there was evening
and there was morning” six times. From the very beginning God designed the days for us
in such a way that we start with rest. Even when we consider the seventh day we note
that this was the day on which God rested. He was the only one working. Man was only
created on the sixth day, so his first day was actually a day of rest.
We are a driven society that has forgotten how to rest. From childhood, through
adolescence into adulthood we are under constant pressure to perform and to produce.
This is our present reality, but because we do not rest, we develop all kinds of physical,
emotional and psychological problems. We need rest every evening. We need proper,
natural sleep. We also need a day of rest each week. This is necessary so that the
chemicals that control our brains can be replenished and get back into balance. We live in
a society suffering from burnout without even realizing it. We are discouraged, distraught,
defeated and depressed. Our families are disintegrating and we don’t have the energy to
hang onto our loved ones anymore. It is easier just to give up – because we are tired. In
fact, we are sick and tired. Remember what Jesus said: “The Sabbath was made for man,
not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27). What Jesus was saying is that regular rest was
introduced for us – and not as some religious observance or ritual. The Sabbath is not
about rules, it is not about religion – it is about REST.
Prayer Thought: If you have not been resting properly, if you have secularized God’s holy
day by failing to get regular rest, confess it and ask His forgiveness. Plan to rest. Plan to
redeem the time by giving to God what is rightfully His.

Thursday
Colossians 2:16-23
Deuteronomy 30:6
In the second chapter of his letter to Church in Colosse, Paul addresses one of the
problems the early Church faced. Christianity emerged out of Judaism. Jesus was a Jew
brought up in the religion and traditions of Judaism. All His followers were Jews and had
the same cultural and religious background. On the Day of Pentecost, the initial converts
were all Jews. As a result, the early Church was heavily populated by people who believed
that the Gentiles had to become Jews before they could become true Christ-followers.
From the teaching found in the New Testament, we know that this is not true. The key to