When stressed I find myself tempted to let grace be overcome by an attitude that projects one message: ‘just get out of my way.’ Recently while I was working through concerns that are arising out of my mother’s illness, I found that temptation coming on strong. I thought - “Why can’t they just get it?” Of course, ‘it’ is seeing things my way. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit reminded me that humility is the godly course in such moments. The Proverbs pierced my pretentions with unadorned truth. On this matter I read that "The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice." (Proverbs 12:15, NIV)
The most foolish person can convince himself he is the smartest man in the world. The result is multiplied folly and a string of regrettable decisions. So what can we do? Here’s the Word wisdom about this: "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." (Ephesians 4:2-3, NIV) The choice to humble one’s self, to choose to accept the challenge of living in love produces the possibility for an outcome we all like – unity! We must remember that everyone reacts to life differently because of their experiences, their temperament, their convictions and biases, their emotional state, and their maturity. As followers of Christ Jesus, we work to stay engaged with one another, we work through our differing ideas, we keep trying to communicate through the fog that would cause us to hear the words but miss the message.
Are you in a situation where tension is rising? Are you feeling stress that is making you circle the wagons into a defensive perimeter? Take it to Jesus in prayer. Ask Him to give new grace, to let you engage with those who would oppose you with gentle humility.
Here’s a little story with a big lesson. I pray that this word from the Word will bless you today, as it blessed me, with a reminder of humility.
"After they arrived at Capernaum and settled in a house, Jesus asked his disciples, “What were you discussing out on the road?”
But they didn’t answer, because they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest.
He sat down, called the twelve disciples over to him, and said, “Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.”
Then he put a little child among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, “Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not only me but also my Father who sent me.” (Mark 9:33-37, NLT)
Friday, February 11, 2011
Thursday, February 10, 2011
What are you full of?
My cell phone chirps and beeps all day long. The PC that is never far from my sight flashes text, sound, and pictures on my desks and next to my living room chair. Our televisions give us the latest information from Cairo, let us sit on the front row of the stadium, or tell us a story in a movie. We are a wired society and most of us like it that way. Solitude is a rare thing for many of us. In fact, we are so attached to our communications stream that we grow anxious when it is shut-down, despite our claim to want some ‘peace and quiet!’ Come on, you know I’m right. Just let me know how ‘peaceful’ you feel next time your high speed Internet connection goes down.
One of my favorite writers on the subject of spiritual formation, Richard Foster, talks about solitude. He is not talking about being a social misfit unable to connect to others, nor is he recommending loneliness, which is one of life’s most painful conditions. Solitude is a discipline that teaches us to be alone with ourselves, that lets us grow comfortable with periods of silence, which allows us to sense the majesty of God. He says that “In solitude we learn to love the ways of God; we learn the cosmic patience of God. There’s the passage in Isaiah in which God says, “Your ways are not my ways,” and then goes on to describe how God’s ways are like the rain that comes down and waters the earth. Rain comes down and just disappears, and then up comes the life. It’s that type of patience. In solitude, I learn to unhook myself from the compulsion to climb and push and shove.” (http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/september/26.41.html?start=5)
If a Christian desires to know God intimately and to be responsive to Him, he will have to learn how to withdraw into times of silence and be comfortable with the solitude. Impossible, you say? Try riding in your car with cell phone turned off, radio off, and mouth shut! (I think the Devil will be sure that someone blows his horn at you.) Or, instead of watching a TV show, go to a room and spend 20 minutes alone, inviting the Holy Spirit to touch the deepest part of your spirit.
Years ago, I took a short sabbatical and one week of that break I spent on a silent retreat at a monastic community! It was one of the hardest things I have ever done. But, I remember gaining a sense of mental clarity, a focus that was so wonderful, by about day three. No, there was no burning bush, no grand revelation, but I have never forgotten how important solitude is, if one would have the mind of the Lord.
In the Gospels, we read about Jesus making a practice of getting alone. "He withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place." (Matthew 14:13, NIV) "As often as possible Jesus withdrew to out-of-the-way places for prayer." (Luke 5:16, The Message) Why was this his notable habit, one that finds record many times through the Gospels? Was he escaping pressure, running away? No. He was running to His Father, preparing Himself to pour out the blessings of Heaven on the world. Might it be that you and I have so little to give so often because we have not learned to be filled with the Spirit? Are we so full of the trivia of daily life that we have no room for the treasure of the eternal Kingdom?
Just before you go to be alone for a while, here are words from the Word. May they convict and challenge us to learn to be still!
"Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.
Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD." (Psalm 4:4-5, KJV)
“Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation.
I will be honored throughout the world.”
The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us;
the God of Israel is our fortress." (Psalm 46:10-11, NLT)
____________________
Treasures
One by one He took them from me,
All the things I valued most,
Until I was empty-handed;
Every glittering toy was lost.
And I walked earth's highways, grieving.
In my rags and poverty.
Till I heard His voice inviting,
"Lift your empty hands to Me!"
So I held my hands toward heaven,
And He filled them with a store
Of His own transcendent riches,
‘Till they could contain no more.
And at last I comprehended
With my stupid mind and dull,
That God COULD not pour His riches
Into hands already full!
-Martha Snell Nicholson
One of my favorite writers on the subject of spiritual formation, Richard Foster, talks about solitude. He is not talking about being a social misfit unable to connect to others, nor is he recommending loneliness, which is one of life’s most painful conditions. Solitude is a discipline that teaches us to be alone with ourselves, that lets us grow comfortable with periods of silence, which allows us to sense the majesty of God. He says that “In solitude we learn to love the ways of God; we learn the cosmic patience of God. There’s the passage in Isaiah in which God says, “Your ways are not my ways,” and then goes on to describe how God’s ways are like the rain that comes down and waters the earth. Rain comes down and just disappears, and then up comes the life. It’s that type of patience. In solitude, I learn to unhook myself from the compulsion to climb and push and shove.” (http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/september/26.41.html?start=5)
If a Christian desires to know God intimately and to be responsive to Him, he will have to learn how to withdraw into times of silence and be comfortable with the solitude. Impossible, you say? Try riding in your car with cell phone turned off, radio off, and mouth shut! (I think the Devil will be sure that someone blows his horn at you.) Or, instead of watching a TV show, go to a room and spend 20 minutes alone, inviting the Holy Spirit to touch the deepest part of your spirit.
Years ago, I took a short sabbatical and one week of that break I spent on a silent retreat at a monastic community! It was one of the hardest things I have ever done. But, I remember gaining a sense of mental clarity, a focus that was so wonderful, by about day three. No, there was no burning bush, no grand revelation, but I have never forgotten how important solitude is, if one would have the mind of the Lord.
In the Gospels, we read about Jesus making a practice of getting alone. "He withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place." (Matthew 14:13, NIV) "As often as possible Jesus withdrew to out-of-the-way places for prayer." (Luke 5:16, The Message) Why was this his notable habit, one that finds record many times through the Gospels? Was he escaping pressure, running away? No. He was running to His Father, preparing Himself to pour out the blessings of Heaven on the world. Might it be that you and I have so little to give so often because we have not learned to be filled with the Spirit? Are we so full of the trivia of daily life that we have no room for the treasure of the eternal Kingdom?
Just before you go to be alone for a while, here are words from the Word. May they convict and challenge us to learn to be still!
"Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.
Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD." (Psalm 4:4-5, KJV)
“Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation.
I will be honored throughout the world.”
The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us;
the God of Israel is our fortress." (Psalm 46:10-11, NLT)
____________________
Treasures
One by one He took them from me,
All the things I valued most,
Until I was empty-handed;
Every glittering toy was lost.
And I walked earth's highways, grieving.
In my rags and poverty.
Till I heard His voice inviting,
"Lift your empty hands to Me!"
So I held my hands toward heaven,
And He filled them with a store
Of His own transcendent riches,
‘Till they could contain no more.
And at last I comprehended
With my stupid mind and dull,
That God COULD not pour His riches
Into hands already full!
-Martha Snell Nicholson
Wednesday, February 09, 2011
Spiritually Deaf and Speechless?
Human communication is fascinating. From 400 page books to 1 line text messages we are always communicating. Most of the time it’s just about the ordinary stuff of life “Hey, honey, would you move your car in the drive?” “What should I take out of the freezer for dinner?” “Wow, it’s only 6 degrees outside this AM.” Some messages stir us deeply. “I love you!” when said in earnest, means so much. And, you know that not all communication requires words, right? A person who knows how to communicate well, who has learned how to say what he wants and to hear what others want from him, is well down the road to success in life.
Have you learned to communicate with the Lord or are you spiritually deaf and speechless? Prayer is just like our interaction with other people. Nearly everyone can communicate, but many are not very adept at clearly expressing themselves. All Christians can pray, but many do not pray well. This is tragic. Why? Because, prayer is the greatest gift that God gives us, the source of great comfort and power for us. The Word couples three commands, sandwiching the key in the middle: "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NIV) Joy and thankfulness grow out of intimate communication with the Holy Spirit!
We learn to pray in just one way – praying. No amount of instruction can replace practice. God is listening, even to our most stammering attempts at prayer. Know that He cares. He tells us "Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done." (Philippians 4:6, NLT) That everything is just that –every little and big thing. We can talk to the Lord about our fears, our temptations, our deepest longings, our confusion, our sex life, our money, the idiot who abuses us at work, kids, health, death … yes, everything!
Prayer must never be reserved for church or even for personal times of meditation. Prayer can be constant, an ongoing ‘chat’ with the Lord. It’s not my intent to demean prayer to a chat, but to illustrate that praying begins as two-way communication even about the stuff we know is not earth-shaking. Intense, earnest, thoughtful, and focused prayer is necessary. Even the Son of God withdrew from others to spend time alone with God. Learning to be God-aware by speaking with Him all through the day with thanksgiving and petition, chatting with Him, lays a foundation for those deeply focused times in prayer.
The power of prayer has little to do with the length of the prayer or the eloquence of the words. One of Jesus’ great miracles, the raising of Lazarus from the dead, was prefaced by this prayer. "Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” (John 11:41-43, NIV) He gave thanks to turn his attention to God’s power, then He asked, clearly and without equivocation.
Learn to communicate with the Lord. Quiet your mind and heart and listen for the whisper of the Spirit. Start each day with a conscious acknowledgement of His care. “Tell God what you need.”
Here’s the model for prayer that Jesus gave us. As you read it today, may His words inspire your words and lead you to joy and thanksgiving.
"Pray like this:
Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.
May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins,
as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
And don’t let us yield to temptation,
but rescue us from the evil one." (Matthew 6:9-13, NLT)
_________________
Make my life a prayer to you
I wanna do what you want me to
No empty words and no white lies
No token prayers no compromise
I wanna shine the light you gave
Thru your son you sent to save us
From ourselves and our despair
It comforts me to know you're really there
Well I wanna thank you now
For being patient with me
Oh it's so hard to see
When my eyes are on me
I guess I'll have to trust
And just believe what you say
Oh you're coming again
I wanna die and let you give
Your life to me so I might live
And share the hope you gave me
The love that set me free
I wanna tell the world out there
You're not some fable or fairy tale
That I've made up inside my head
You're God the son and you've risen from the dead
I wanna die and let you give
Your life to me so I might live
And share the hope you gave me
The love that set me free
- Make My Life A Prayer, Keith Green
Have you learned to communicate with the Lord or are you spiritually deaf and speechless? Prayer is just like our interaction with other people. Nearly everyone can communicate, but many are not very adept at clearly expressing themselves. All Christians can pray, but many do not pray well. This is tragic. Why? Because, prayer is the greatest gift that God gives us, the source of great comfort and power for us. The Word couples three commands, sandwiching the key in the middle: "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NIV) Joy and thankfulness grow out of intimate communication with the Holy Spirit!
We learn to pray in just one way – praying. No amount of instruction can replace practice. God is listening, even to our most stammering attempts at prayer. Know that He cares. He tells us "Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done." (Philippians 4:6, NLT) That everything is just that –every little and big thing. We can talk to the Lord about our fears, our temptations, our deepest longings, our confusion, our sex life, our money, the idiot who abuses us at work, kids, health, death … yes, everything!
Prayer must never be reserved for church or even for personal times of meditation. Prayer can be constant, an ongoing ‘chat’ with the Lord. It’s not my intent to demean prayer to a chat, but to illustrate that praying begins as two-way communication even about the stuff we know is not earth-shaking. Intense, earnest, thoughtful, and focused prayer is necessary. Even the Son of God withdrew from others to spend time alone with God. Learning to be God-aware by speaking with Him all through the day with thanksgiving and petition, chatting with Him, lays a foundation for those deeply focused times in prayer.
The power of prayer has little to do with the length of the prayer or the eloquence of the words. One of Jesus’ great miracles, the raising of Lazarus from the dead, was prefaced by this prayer. "Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” (John 11:41-43, NIV) He gave thanks to turn his attention to God’s power, then He asked, clearly and without equivocation.
Learn to communicate with the Lord. Quiet your mind and heart and listen for the whisper of the Spirit. Start each day with a conscious acknowledgement of His care. “Tell God what you need.”
Here’s the model for prayer that Jesus gave us. As you read it today, may His words inspire your words and lead you to joy and thanksgiving.
"Pray like this:
Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.
May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins,
as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
And don’t let us yield to temptation,
but rescue us from the evil one." (Matthew 6:9-13, NLT)
_________________
Make my life a prayer to you
I wanna do what you want me to
No empty words and no white lies
No token prayers no compromise
I wanna shine the light you gave
Thru your son you sent to save us
From ourselves and our despair
It comforts me to know you're really there
Well I wanna thank you now
For being patient with me
Oh it's so hard to see
When my eyes are on me
I guess I'll have to trust
And just believe what you say
Oh you're coming again
I wanna die and let you give
Your life to me so I might live
And share the hope you gave me
The love that set me free
I wanna tell the world out there
You're not some fable or fairy tale
That I've made up inside my head
You're God the son and you've risen from the dead
I wanna die and let you give
Your life to me so I might live
And share the hope you gave me
The love that set me free
- Make My Life A Prayer, Keith Green
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
What on your diet?
I'm not a health food fanatic by any stretch of the imagination, but I eat a balanced diet that includes less and less 'junk' these days. Maybe it's wisdom, maybe it's just my inability to eat junk food and still feel well, that makes for more discipline in my diet. Whatever it is, high fat, high sugar foods don't find their way into my mouth as much. People have been preaching to me a long time about the quality of the food I choose to nourish my body. Now I am understanding that nutrition is more than putting stuff into your mouth.
What nourishes you spiritually? The Psalmist sings "How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" (Psalm 119:103, NIV) The prophet said that "When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart's delight, for I bear your name, O Lord God Almighty." (Jeremiah 15:16, NIV) It's an interesting analogy, isn't it? God's Word as food and drink. Our minds and hearts want to be fed. We have a hunger for instruction, for knowledge of the way to live that lets us be satisfied, peaceful, and whole. We can temporarily ease that hunger with material that does not satisfy our soul.
But, when we consume the Word of God, He uses it to create a strong heart in us, to give us insight and discernment. As a shepherd of God's flock, I am concerned by the failure of many to 'eat' the Word in quantities that will provide real strength. Merely reading a few inspirational thoughts each day cannot replace sitting down to thoughtful meditation on the Scripture. A 'verse for the day' will produce about the same kind of strength that you would have if you tried to survive on a single vitamin tablet! Then, too, there are many teachers preparing meals for people but the 'food' they offer is tainted or diluted with human philosophy to great degrees. The "Word" they offer is junk food, tasty morsels that cannot provide nutrition.
Get two good Bibles! One solid translation (New International, English Standard, or even New Living) matched with a contemporary paraphrase like The Message are all you need to get started. Make a plan to read a portion of the Scripture every day, with understanding, allowing the Spirit to apply the principles of God's Story to your life. No one masters the Scripture or is mastered by the Truth in a month or even a year! It's a life-long commitment, with rich rewards.
Here's a word from the Word. I pray it challenges you to check your 'soul food' for nutritional content.
"Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long. Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me. I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes. I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts. I have kept my feet from every evil path so that I might obey your word. I have not departed from your laws, for you yourself have taught me. How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. I have taken an oath and confirmed it, that I will follow your righteous laws. I have suffered much; preserve my life, O Lord, according to your word. Accept, O Lord, the willing praise of my mouth, and teach me your laws."
(Psalm 119:97-108, NIV)
What nourishes you spiritually? The Psalmist sings "How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" (Psalm 119:103, NIV) The prophet said that "When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart's delight, for I bear your name, O Lord God Almighty." (Jeremiah 15:16, NIV) It's an interesting analogy, isn't it? God's Word as food and drink. Our minds and hearts want to be fed. We have a hunger for instruction, for knowledge of the way to live that lets us be satisfied, peaceful, and whole. We can temporarily ease that hunger with material that does not satisfy our soul.
But, when we consume the Word of God, He uses it to create a strong heart in us, to give us insight and discernment. As a shepherd of God's flock, I am concerned by the failure of many to 'eat' the Word in quantities that will provide real strength. Merely reading a few inspirational thoughts each day cannot replace sitting down to thoughtful meditation on the Scripture. A 'verse for the day' will produce about the same kind of strength that you would have if you tried to survive on a single vitamin tablet! Then, too, there are many teachers preparing meals for people but the 'food' they offer is tainted or diluted with human philosophy to great degrees. The "Word" they offer is junk food, tasty morsels that cannot provide nutrition.
Get two good Bibles! One solid translation (New International, English Standard, or even New Living) matched with a contemporary paraphrase like The Message are all you need to get started. Make a plan to read a portion of the Scripture every day, with understanding, allowing the Spirit to apply the principles of God's Story to your life. No one masters the Scripture or is mastered by the Truth in a month or even a year! It's a life-long commitment, with rich rewards.
Here's a word from the Word. I pray it challenges you to check your 'soul food' for nutritional content.
"Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long. Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me. I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes. I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts. I have kept my feet from every evil path so that I might obey your word. I have not departed from your laws, for you yourself have taught me. How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. I have taken an oath and confirmed it, that I will follow your righteous laws. I have suffered much; preserve my life, O Lord, according to your word. Accept, O Lord, the willing praise of my mouth, and teach me your laws."
(Psalm 119:97-108, NIV)
Monday, February 07, 2011
SuperBowl and Sunday rest
It’s over. The $300,000 commercials are being dissected. The halftime show that delighted and disappointed (A ‘who cares’ shrug from me) will be discussed terminally today. The men who strained to win a championship for the season will be taking pain-killers and either celebrating their triumph or regretting their stumbles. We all go back to work and life goes on. It was fun, wasn’t it? The anticipation, the jokes and jabs, the gatherings for the party. Events that allow us to break up the tedium of life keep us from turning into joyless drones. And that’s a good thing!
God likes celebration, too. Did you realize that? He inspired Moses to create a calendar for His people that included multiple holy days. It was the holy days in the calendar that caused the work to stop, that made a break. The Lord knew that we would tend to worship our work and play at our worship so, from the very beginning, He asked for one day in seven to be set aside as holy, a regular holiday break. The 4th commandment says: “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you." (Exodus 20:8-10, NLT) Our modern word ‘holiday’ is derived from ‘holy day.’
I am convinced that the New Covenant in Christ releases us from an obligatory observance of the Sabbath. Romans 14 is clear that every day is holy to the Lord, and yet we who are disciples of Christ need to remember the gift of the holy day, the importance of breaking into our work for renewal, for worship, to gather with other disciples for focused and intentional worship. The Sabbath principle survives in God’s plan for His holy people. From the 2nd decade of Christianity, the “Lord’s Day” was celebrated by gathering of Believers for worship and the ‘love feast’ and instruction in the Scripture. The Word strongly directs us to keep the practice, for our own good. "Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near." (Hebrews 10:24-25, NLT)
Few spiritual principles are more widely disregarded by 21st century American Christians than the principle of a day each week given to worship and God. The “Lord’s Day” has become, at best for many, “the Lord’s hour or two.” The day off from the factory or office turns into a day to shop, fix the car, do the laundry, get groceries … almost everything but rest and worship. And, we are poorer for our rejection of His gift of a holy day. We justify our neglect of our souls by pointing to the many responsibilities of our daily lives, and in so doing we are like the money manager who is penny-wise and dollar-foolish. Unless we are willing to put God first, we will never discover the order for life; the increased productivity He can provide when we live in His promised rest.
Disciple, honor the Lord with your time. Recover the principle of taking a day for worship and rest, a day devoted to celebrating His goodness. It’s not a practice that needs to be a dull duty. It’s a celebration of the goodness of our God, a reminder that He owns us, that He cares for us, and that we are eternal beings first, creatures of this present world second. Push gathering for worship to the top of your list of priorities and discipline yourself to spend the balance of your ‘holy day’ in hospitality, in service to your King, in renewal of the spirit by intentional pursuit of the Presence of the Lord.
The weekly holy-day is His gift. Receive it with joy.
Here’s a word from the Word. Pray that the Holy Spirit will give you insight as to the application of the principle to your Christian life.
“Keep the Sabbath day holy. Don’t pursue your own interests on that day,
but enjoy the Sabbath and speak of it with delight as the Lord’s holy day.
Honor the Sabbath in everything you do on that day,
and don’t follow your own desires or talk idly.
Then the Lord will be your delight.
I will give you great honor and satisfy you with the inheritance I promised to your ancestor Jacob. I, the Lord, have spoken!” (Isaiah 58:13-14, NLT)
God likes celebration, too. Did you realize that? He inspired Moses to create a calendar for His people that included multiple holy days. It was the holy days in the calendar that caused the work to stop, that made a break. The Lord knew that we would tend to worship our work and play at our worship so, from the very beginning, He asked for one day in seven to be set aside as holy, a regular holiday break. The 4th commandment says: “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you." (Exodus 20:8-10, NLT) Our modern word ‘holiday’ is derived from ‘holy day.’
I am convinced that the New Covenant in Christ releases us from an obligatory observance of the Sabbath. Romans 14 is clear that every day is holy to the Lord, and yet we who are disciples of Christ need to remember the gift of the holy day, the importance of breaking into our work for renewal, for worship, to gather with other disciples for focused and intentional worship. The Sabbath principle survives in God’s plan for His holy people. From the 2nd decade of Christianity, the “Lord’s Day” was celebrated by gathering of Believers for worship and the ‘love feast’ and instruction in the Scripture. The Word strongly directs us to keep the practice, for our own good. "Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near." (Hebrews 10:24-25, NLT)
Few spiritual principles are more widely disregarded by 21st century American Christians than the principle of a day each week given to worship and God. The “Lord’s Day” has become, at best for many, “the Lord’s hour or two.” The day off from the factory or office turns into a day to shop, fix the car, do the laundry, get groceries … almost everything but rest and worship. And, we are poorer for our rejection of His gift of a holy day. We justify our neglect of our souls by pointing to the many responsibilities of our daily lives, and in so doing we are like the money manager who is penny-wise and dollar-foolish. Unless we are willing to put God first, we will never discover the order for life; the increased productivity He can provide when we live in His promised rest.
Disciple, honor the Lord with your time. Recover the principle of taking a day for worship and rest, a day devoted to celebrating His goodness. It’s not a practice that needs to be a dull duty. It’s a celebration of the goodness of our God, a reminder that He owns us, that He cares for us, and that we are eternal beings first, creatures of this present world second. Push gathering for worship to the top of your list of priorities and discipline yourself to spend the balance of your ‘holy day’ in hospitality, in service to your King, in renewal of the spirit by intentional pursuit of the Presence of the Lord.
The weekly holy-day is His gift. Receive it with joy.
Here’s a word from the Word. Pray that the Holy Spirit will give you insight as to the application of the principle to your Christian life.
“Keep the Sabbath day holy. Don’t pursue your own interests on that day,
but enjoy the Sabbath and speak of it with delight as the Lord’s holy day.
Honor the Sabbath in everything you do on that day,
and don’t follow your own desires or talk idly.
Then the Lord will be your delight.
I will give you great honor and satisfy you with the inheritance I promised to your ancestor Jacob. I, the Lord, have spoken!” (Isaiah 58:13-14, NLT)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)