SABBATH

What comes to mind when you think of the word Sabbath?

WHAT SABBATH MEANT TO THE JEWISH PEOPLE

1. TELLING THE TRUTH – that God loved them without them doing anything. Their value was in the fact they were created by God

2. SHABBAT (Jewish for Sabbath) – “To stop” (a time to stop doing normal activities and find rest in God)

SABBATH IS HOLY

The Sabbath was observed from sundown on Friday through sundown on Saturday. A day separate from the other six days to rest and delight in God

LIVING THE SABBATH IN CONTEMPORARY AMERICA

Understand it is a gift from God to you to use and enjoy. A time to rest, do fun things, appreciate the things, hobbies, pets and people God has put in your life

Practice the Sabbath, if only for a short time and then allow it to grow into a full day

Be Intentional observing the Sabbath in your life by scheduling it weekly in your calendar (what you schedule is what gets done)

MAYBE LESS IS MORE

By: Jack Guyler

In our quest to achieve more, have more and impress others more, we may not have taken the time to ask ourselves, “is the quest for more really helping me?” Or put another way, could less really give us more of what we are looking for in life?

To get us started thinking about the idea that maybe less is more, hear what Jesus said to a man:

Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

- Luke 12:13-15

Do you see what Jesus is saying here? He says greed (selfish and excessive need for more) is what reveals what is really in our hearts. The problem with greed is that it suffocates us, blinds us and creates apathy toward God. We are consumed with having more. What drives it? The human condition – the feeling of not being complete or whole. And the truth is we are not. But we live the lie that more stuff will satisfy us when it is only God that can do that.

This is the primary reason why we accumulate so much stuff. Let me ask you, those of you who moved a few times, when it is best to have a yard sale if you are planning to move? Before you move or after? Yes, before! You find out you have way more stuff than you thought and way more convenient to get rid of before you move so you aren’t carrying it with you to the new house plus paying extra to have it moved.

Here are a few things to think about:

• We consume twice as much as our grandparents did

• It’s estimated we have ten of thousands of items in our homes

• The average size of a home today is 3 times larger than 50 years ago, but families are only half as big

• The average credit card debt in America is $50,000

• 25% of people with a 2 car garage can’t park either car in the garage

• 32% of people with a 2 car garage can only park one car in the garage

This gives you just a little idea of how much we as Americans collect and accumulate. It is a lot!

Some sociologist says that atheism hasn’t replaced cultural Christianity but rather shopping has. Shopping has now become the #1 leisure activity in America.

What’s the bottom line here? It is this; we get our meaning in life from what we consume. The lie here is: the more we have, the happier we will be. John Rockefeller agreed with this once when asked, “How much money is enough? His answer was, “Just a little bit more.”

John Mark Comer reminds us that the more we buy, the more money and time we need to take care of what we buy. That’s true whether it’s technology, a house, clothes or items for a hobby we love. Buying things and enjoying life is not the issue. It is when it gets out of hand and thinking that more stuff will make us happy and satisfied. Remember Jesus’ words, “life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

Buying or consuming has become an addiction to millions of people. As someone once said, “we are buying things we don’t need with money we don’t have, and wasting time we don’t have to keep it all organized.”

Our culture has become consumed with consumerism – with getting more. Over the past 75 years, the culture has shifted from focusing on wants over needs.

It’s estimated that the average person comes in contact with several thousand advertisements on a daily basis. This causes us to want and want more and more. And this desire for more causes us to live a life of hurry, worry and anxiety. The opposite way Jesus’ lived.

So, we live in a day and culture that is consumer driven and always wanting more. It surrounds us. We can’t get away from it, so what can we do? Let’s look to Jesus.

He said, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

How will this happen? By taking steps to simplify our lives. These will look differently for each of us, but here are some ideas to help you get started to simplify your life and find greater meaning in life beyond your possessions:

1. Practice a purchase pause. Before spending money on an item (that is a non-essential item) take at least one or two days to think about. Some say to take up to 30 days. This cuts down on impulse buying and spending.

2. Ask yourself these questions when looking at the stuff you have?

• • Does this add value to my life?

• • Does it really provide joy?

• • Does someone else need this more than me?

• • Do I have too much in a small space – maybe a sign that you have too much

3. Practice giving away things. While this is painful, if you practice giving even one or two items away, it will begin to make you a more generous person and will make someone else’s life better who really needs the item. For you it’s an extra thing, but for someone else it might be an essential item for them.

4. Live-open handed. Give things away spontaneously (known as “Spontaneous Generosity”). We can do this when we realize that God will give us everything we need to live a full life.

I’m sure as you reflect on this, you will come up with your own ideas as to how to let go of things, give things away and simplify your life. But it all begins with coming to terms with Jesus’ words:

“Life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”