1 - Introduction - Living like a real Christian The Sabbath | Page 8

“If you hold back your foot on Shabbat
from pursuing your own interests on my holy day;
if you call Shabbat a delight,
Adonai’s holy day, worth honouring;
then honour it by not doing your usual things
or pursuing your interests or speaking about them.”
We start by looking at the things God does not want us to engage in on the Sabbath.
Firstly, we do not engage in our usual activities on this day because it is a day of rest. We
need to break with our usual routine or we will not get any rest. There is truth in the
axiom, “A change is as good as a holiday.”
Secondly, we need to desist from pursuing our own interests. An important aspect of selfdenial is breaking the cycle of selfishness. As Christ-followers we have to come to the
realization that we are not the centre of our world and that everything is not about us.
We need some time to think about the interests of others. Family, friends and those in
need spring to mind. All week we can pursue our own interests, engage in our hobbies,
develop our careers and stick to our normal routine. God wants us to break this cycle and
move our focus from ourselves to other only one day a week.
Thirdly, God wants our conversation to change. Not only are we stop the pursuit of our
own interests on this day, but He also wants us to stop speaking about the things that are
important to us as individuals.
Finally, God does not want us to engage in any activity that is not honouring to Him or His
holy day. I resist the temptation to list things that I would not do and leave this list to your
own conscience. We are not introducing some new rule, or introducing another religious
ritual but simply saying if you want to find rest on this day of rest, make sure that your
own conscience does not condemn you. It is also important to remember that what we do
with our time is always a reflection of what is important to us. All we have, really, is time.
Our life is measured from the moment of birth to the moment of death. Everything in
between represents our life. The way in which we spend this time must, therefore,
declare to all what our life is all about. It is a statement that declares what is important to
us. Making one day a week available to God – which is all He requires – is a testimony to
how important He is to us.
Prayer Thought: Examine how you spend your time and see if it reflects the values you
would like it to do. If there are areas that need adjusting, then make the necessary
adjustments prayerfully and with God’s help. This is not about new rules but a strategy to
enjoy rest God’s way. Speak to Him about it.