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"If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing they pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:
Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it."
See also: Ex. 31: 13, 16-17; Matt. 12: 12; Mark 2: 27; Moses 3: 3
Why is this Sabbath observance a commandment? We read in Exodus 31:13 "it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you." So, the Sabbath was sanctified and made for us (Mark 2:27) to thank and worship our God.
Why has it become so hard for people to follow this simple commandment?
I get that lots of sports are played on Sunday, and community events often times land on that day. Participation in these things is up to individuals and families, I suppose.
However, what happened to no working on the Sabbath? It seems that very few stores are closed on Sundays anymore. They even look to this day as a major moneymaker, because so many people choose to shop on this day. But why? Why can't we all fit our errands and chores into the other days, so we can truly take Sunday off? Is it so difficult to completely take a day off from work? Have we molded our lives such that we can't, or don't know how, to take a break? We have plenty of family time to spend, and countless acts of service to provide. Sunday should be reserved for these things only!
I know that many people speculate on how we should really interpret "keeping the Sabbath holy." The answer is in the above scriptures. "Not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure" on the Sabbath means doing things that would please our Heavenly Father and benefit his kingdom.
We have been told by prophets that shopping and recreational activities are out. We've also been told to use the day for service and study. Some would argue that doing service can be harder work than what we usually do. However, service is for someone else, and thus done for God rather than self. Service can be exhausting, but somehow, one feels recharged afterward, rather than depleted. We feel good! (Because we are being blessed for the act!!) Service is selfless, and selflessness is service!
Some even choose to keep Sunday an electronics-free day, other than for the use of studying or contacting people. We can live a day without facebook/twitter/instagram, the news, shows, games, texting, etc.
Many other worthy things can fill our Sundays: studying, journalling, letter writing (especially to missionaries who are away from their families), phone calls to family members, listening to beautiful and uplifting music, one-on-one time with children, board games, treat making, and the list goes on!
And don't forget that Sunday is meant to be a day of rest, so fit a nap in there! Have some good snuggle time with your loved ones!
Do only activities that you can do together! Have a testimony meeting. Have a gratitude share. Tell each other about the ups and downs of the week. Study together. Plan something you can do for a neighbor or elderly person. Make a family bucket list.
Play together and pray together!
Ultimately, saving a whole day for just worship and service and family time can only bless us and make us better! We will reap the rewards for strengthening relationships and supporting others. Our families will grow closer as we serve together and spend quality time together. And we desperately need that in this crazy, distracting, fast-paced world that we live in!!
So, we are promised blessings when we are obedient. What are we promised for sabbath observance? That Isaiah scripture tells us this, too! We will ride upon the high places of the earth and be fed of Jacob's heritage. What does this mean? I had to study it out.. To me, it means that we will be a favored people of the Lord, and we will receive the same inheritance as Jacob, or Israel. The Lord will guide us and provide for us as long as we make the sacrifice of our time in honoring Him.
So, here's a challenge:
Just for one day, this coming Sunday, choose to engage in god-centered acts all day long. See if you can involve family members in everything you do for one day only. Try it, and wait for the outcome. It may be foreign and awkward and weird at first, but keep it up. It'll be worth it, I promise. You may find that you learn new things about family members, and you enjoy their company more! And then, you may choose to do the challenge the next week, and the next. Then you may find your family looking forward to Sunday and thriving on that time and attention. You'll find that your little family unit will be strengthened, because you all feel loved and happy. God's spirit will fill your home, and peace will reside therein. Wins all around!
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