No Time For God
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Posted: 06/24/08
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No Time For God
By Thomas E. Brewton
Everything is better when we obey the Fourth Commandment's
instruction to keep the Lord's Day holy.
Pastor Steve Treash preached Sunday's sermon at Black Rock-Long Ridge
Congregational Church (North Stamford, Connecticut). We need, he
said, to ask ourselves frequently what would we have done differently
in the past and what we would do in the near future, were we to know
that our death was near at hand.
Our answer ought to be to follow the Fourth Commandment, to make more
time for God in our lives.
Poets in earlier generations were on the right track. We should take
time to smell the roses, we should leave a place in hectic schedules
for our family and friends, and we should enjoy the beauties of
nature and thank God for them.
The full text of the Fourth Commandment in Exodus is:
"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall
labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the
LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your
son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your
animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the LORD
made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but
he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath
day and made it holy."
(Exodus 20:8-11)
Pastor Treash observed that the word Sabbath means a stop, a
cessation of activity, a rest. The word holy means set apart. To
keep the Sabbath holy means, not to relax from work and watch TV, but
to set aside time to commune through the Holy Spirit with God; to put
our thoughts and emotions right with God.
Keeping the Sabbath holy is more than just going to church, then
returning home to watch TV. It's making the entire Sabbath holy.
It's setting aside time to ask for spiritual guidance to live a life
more in keeping with Jesus's teachings. It's setting aside time to
meditate about ways to demonstrate love, affection, and respect to
our family members. It's being open to Divine inspiration about ways
to help others. It's asking for help from the Holy Spirit to look
beyond our selfish, egoistical focus to find ways to serve that
glorify God.
Pastor Treash listed three ways to spend time with God to those ends.
First, reflect upon the blessings God has given us.
"Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the LORD your God
brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm.
Therefore the LORD your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath
day." (Deuteronomy 5:15)
Second, refresh ourselves by enjoying God's Creation with friends and
family. Note that doing this will set a good example for young
children.
"The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, celebrating it for the
generations to come as a lasting covenant. It will be a sign between
me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the LORD made the
heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he abstained from work
and rested." (Exodus 31:16-17)
Finally, refocus on your purpose in life, which is not just to work,
but to worship God and, in so doing, to transform your life to become
more Christlike.
God wants to restore your ability to see and enjoy the miracle of His
Creation and to be thankful for His blessings.
Thomas E. Brewton is a staff writer for the New Media Alliance, Inc.
The New Media Alliance is a non-profit (501c3) national coalition of
writers, journalists and grass-roots media outlets.
His weblog is THE VIEW FROM 1776
http://www.thomasbrewton.com/
Email comments to viewfrom1776@thomasbrewton.com
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