Take a Day Off!
When you look at the 10 Commandments, the fourth commandment seems oddly out of place. It simply says, "Take a day off". That's right. The same God that says, "Don't steal. Don't kill. And don't watch 'The Bachelor'..." says, "Make sure that you are intentional about having margin in your life."
Surprisingly, ancient Israel was much more of a 24/7 culture than we are. They worked all the time. Israel needed every possible day to accomplish what was needed to make society function and to ensure 1-2 million Israelites were fed, while living in the wilderness.
So, why would God place this command on His "Top 10 List"? Here's why:
1) It teaches us DEPEND on God. It's trusting him for 7 days of provision based on 6 days of work. (Exodus 16)
2) It helps us APPRECIATE what we have. Busyness and non-stop work distract us from being satisfied or grateful.
3) It allows us the time to REMEMBER what God has done. One of the purposes of the Sabbath was to build into Israel's weekly schedule a time in which they could reflect on how God had miraculously freed them from slavery. (Deuteronomy 5:15)
Recently, I've been trying to make the most of my day off (Mondays) by making sure I incorporate all 3 of the things above. I promise... it's not as easy as you'd think.
Dave
PS - Topping the "Homeschool Jokes Top 10 List" this past week was, "What do you call it when a homeschool mom talks to herself? A parent/teacher conference" (You can laugh now)
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