Wednesday; September 1

You would think that if there was a stalwart in religion, it would be the Ten Commandments. After all, this iconic section of Scripture has become larger than merely being a set of verses in the Old Testament – it has become one of the best known and most loved sections of text in all of literature. Yet, even though it has endured thousands of years of use (and sometimes abuse) it isn’t without some debate. One of the sections of Scripture that is often discussed is the commandment, “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.” (Exodus 20:8). Some modern religious beliefs translate this to mean that worship should be conducted on Saturday (the last day of the week) while others have applied this concept to how Sunday is to be approached in Christianity. Some people believe that since this ordinance is not repeated in the New Testament, it is not applicable to godly people today. Our space doesn’t provide us with the room to fully discuss this issue, but I do believe that no matter where we stand on our understanding of this commandment, it reminds us of a couple of needs humans have. First, we must protect against becoming so busy that we don’t get the rest we need. If God felt it was good idea for Him to have a day of rest after creating the world, it is a good practice for us. Secondly, according to Moses review of the Ten Commandments in Deuteronomy, the Sabbath was a good reminder of the role that God played in delivering the Israelites from Egyptian Captivity. In other words, while resting, it was a good to reflect.

I am not sure that the Sabbath has the allure in Christianity that it had under the Law of Moses, but I do believe that we can learn from its principle. We need to rest and we need to reflect. Let’s schedule a time to remember God’s influence on us – when we do, we will strengthen the relationship we have with Him.

Think About It!

Popular posts from this blog

Tuesday; November 29

The biblical story of the Good Samaritan has changed our world. Notice I didn’t say that it had change religion or even Christianity, it has influenced the world. There are very few people who don’t know the moral of Jesus’ parable about the Good Samaritan. In fact, the phrase has become a common description of everyday people doing good to their neighbors. While Jesus’ parable from Luke 10 shares several spiritual lessons, one of the most practical is that good can be done by anyone. You don’t have to be a church official to do good, it is not only possible for each one of us to help, it is required of all of us. If a Samaritan can be good, so can we! After presenting the parable, Jesus asked the man who had originally asked the question about being a good neighbor which character in the story was a good neighbor, “… he said, ‘The one who showed mercy toward him.’” at which point, the discussion from theoretical to personal, “Then Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do the same.’” (Luke
Read more

Thursday; January 12

The other day I was watching a television show that used a rather common term applied to overcoming challenges. When organizations experience unexpected setbacks – especially when they lose key people – they rely upon the concept of “Next Man Up”. In essence, when our starters (or stars) go down, effective organizations rely upon their next levels to step into the vacancy. While this is an effective response, have we given much thought as to how we prepare to be the “next people up”? First, we must know our job. Even when we aren’t the primary players, we need to be preparing ourselves to be ready when we get the opportunity to shine. Second, we must do our best when we get the chance. Knowledge is important but what turns potential into talent is effort. Yet, maybe the most underappreciated aspect of this concept is a willingness avoid excuse-making and whining about the unfairness of our situation. When we complain about the circumstances that caused the need for replacements
Read more

Monday; September 25

When I was a youngster, I remember hearing about this thing called the Generation Gap. I was a little bit too young to be active in the social movements of the 1960s, but I do remember listening to the challenges the generations were experiencing way back then. Interestingly, now that I have been on both sides of the aging process, I have to admit that the Gap of the 1960s was nothing new. With the development of each generation comes conflict. The young people don’t feel like the older people understand them and the older folks tend to believe their input is being underappreciated. Too often trust is the casualty when two generations collide. The sad thing is that it doesn’t have to be this way. When we can capture the innovation and energy of the younger folks and harness the wisdom of those who have been around for a while we can develop a winning combination. No, we won’t always see things eye-to-eye nor will we necessarily speak the same emotional language, but when we app
Read more