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Take 5!

Whatever Happened to a Day of Rest?

Is it just me, or does it feel like time is speeding up? I mean, there just doesn't seem to be enough time in the day to do everything that needs to get done anymore. Take my own life, for example; for five days a week, I get up early, go to work, come home around 6 p.m. and fix dinner, then clean away from dinner. If I'm lucky, I'll do the treadmill for 30 minutes, then get ready for bed, unwind in my recliner with a cuppa tea and watch Bible Discovery or Robert Jeffress for an hour. Then off to bed I go, only to do it all over again the next day!

If you're a part of the 9 to 5 working class, then your story is probably similar to mine; maybe there's a few kids thrown into the equation, which makes it even more challenging, but it always seems to be a juggling act. We live in a fast paced world, getting caught up in work, society, families, and even social media. So how do we take our busy schedules and make it work for us, so that by the end of the week we still have a little fuel left in our tank? Well, have you ever

thought about slowing down and taking a day of rest? A day of rest is important for the mind, body and soul. It could be the one thing that can keep you going, not just longer, but more effectively! In Hebrew, Sabbath means "to rest from labor." Today, it is impossible to function properly and excel without adequate rest. Mark 2:27-28 says, "Jesus said to them, 'The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath." So, here are a few reasons why we should consider taking a day of rest:

1. To improve

relationships - Quality relationships are vital to life. Time is needed

to enhance these relationships. A rest day allows for family gatherings, chats with neighbors and friends, and time to get to know new people. Time is a key factor to having better relationships. Without it, relationships suffer. John 13:34 says, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another."

2. Better physical

health - Taking better care of our bodies is paramount to living a quality life. Our bodies are God's temple. 1 Corinthians 6:19 says, "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own." A day of rest gives our bodies a chance to heal from physical stress, injury and disease. It's a great opportunity to catch up on sleep, spend some alone time meditating, and reading. 3 John 1:2 says, "Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul."

3. Mental rejuvenation

- We tend to suffer from burn-out from time to time, which takes a toll on our mental health and can lead to severe stress. We absolutely need a mental break from life's daily grind. It improves overall well-being to leave you feeling more positive and ready to tackle what's ahead. A rest day attacks mental exhaustion, anxiety and stress. By taking a break from regular activities, it gives you time to focus on spiritual things which helps combat mental

fatigue. Psalm 42:11 says, "Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God."

4. Increase in

productivity - God wants us to prosper in what we do for a living. Whether it's a stay-athome mom, a surgeon, or a bus driver, a day of rest will boost our positivity level and allow us to refocus and prioritize - Distractions causes us to lose focus of the important things and forget about what really matters in life.

5. It's God's 4th commandment -

Exodus 20:8-10 says, "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant

Take 5!

or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you."

The Sabbath in the Bible is Saturday, the seventh day of the week, from Friday evening at sunset until Saturday evening at sunset. In the New Testament, Jesus observed the Sabbath and never suggested a change to Sunday. But He did reject a strict legalistic interpretation of the Old Testament commandment.

However, the very first Christians, who came from among the Jews, worshiped as Jews and observed the Sabbath. But because Jesus arose from the dead on the first day of the week (Sunday), those early Christians called it the "Lord's Day" and also regularly met for their Christian worship on Sunday (Acts 20:7) (1 Corinthians 16:2).

About 49 A.D., Paul, Peter, James and other church leaders met at the "Council of Jerusalem" and decided, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, that it was not necessary for Christians to observe the Sabbath rules and other aspects of Jewish Law.

In the early centuries of Christianity, all the Christian communities of the world were under control of the Roman Empire. Constantine was the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity. In 321 A.D., he proclaimed Sunday a legal day of rest and ordered all people to rest on that day instead of Saturday. By this time, the Christian Church had lost contact with its Jewish roots, and hostility had built up between the Christians and the Jewish people; so much so that the Christians were expelled from the synagogues.

In about 363 A.D., a regional Church council in Asia Minor, the Council of Laodicea, declared that Christians must not rest on the Sabbath, but must work on that day, and honor the Lord's Day (Sunday).

God knows what's best for His created beings. He commands us to rest by ceasing from work and regular weekly activates. Sabbath was designed to help us grow spiritually. Most Christians today follow the tradition of holding worship services on Sunday, but some believe that Saturday truly is the proper day of rest. Christ accomplished everything we need to be justified before God. We are freed from the restrictions of the law through faith in Christ. We are members of a new creation that isn't impeded by food laws, Sabbath day rules or the keeping of set feasts days.

We are to live as Christ lived and to love as He loved, for love is the fulfillment of the law.

“So don't let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths.” (Colossians 2:16)

WOOD Ministries

Written by: Donna Wood Photo by: Stock