Shabbat: What to make of it!
There is often a focus on what can’t be done on the Sabbath. When someone approaches the issue with questions, our answer is almost always prefaced with “Well, I don’t [fill in the blank].” This template answer automatically gives a weak and somewhat sour tasting impression of what Sabbath-keeping is really all about.
Not only does this focus on the infamous “Don’t List” depreciate the value of our Sabbath-keeping testimony, but also it places an unnecessary struggle on how to spend Sabbath afternoons. I got a message from one of the members of this ministry the other day which prompted the writing article. She asked “What can you do without breaking the Sabbath?”
I started wondering about the question myself and even had to consult others.There were a few events that tugged on my heart that conflicted, but I knew the answer already. My experience has been, “if you doubt, do without” and for so many Sabbaths there was never a question of what to do, because there was often a hectic schedule prepared already. From Sabbath afternoons spent on Bible Studies, to doing other things to the Lord, knocking on doors, workshops/lectures, and some good time spend with the family or fellowshipping with friends, sometimes it is difficult to really know. So the question posed as is, “what can you do without breaking it?” Well, here’s my response, and you may say that I am not answering at all: “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Cor. 10:31.)
If you are walking in the Spirit, you’ll know what to do. The answer you are looking for, you’ll never find by asking someone else. Just ask Him. -That’s the short answer. Next time you are confronted with the Sabbath question, I would encourage you to think of your “To Do” list as opposed to the old “Don’t List.” Sabbath is more about what we make of it, than what we trade for it. “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27). So I rest with Him, fellowship with Him, read about Him, love on Him, and worship Him. (Isaiah 58:14-14).