Rest

This week, we are talking about how we can experience extraordinary relationships. A couple days ago, we read that God invited the nation of Israel into a relationship. Over the next two days, we will be looking at the boundaries God laid out for that relationship and see what guidance we can get for our personal relationships. Today, we will look at the first four ...


Exodus 20
1 Then God gave the people all these instructions:
2 “I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery.
3 “You must not have any other god but me.
4 “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea.
5 You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected - even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me.
6 But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.
7 “You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name.
8 “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
9 You have six days each week for your ordinary work,
10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you.
11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.


Rest. The first three boundaries God established had to do with man’s relationship with God; but they also provide some great insight into extraordinary personal relationships. They cover important elements like being loyal and avoiding control-issues and showing respect. The last six boundaries had to do with how we relate to each other (we’ll look at them tomorrow). The one boundary that separates them has to do with taking a break. This past weekend, Jonathan talked about the fact that the ordinary way to live life is at a break-neck speed. An extraordinary life would include some moments when we push pause ... when we can get refueled ... when we can catch up on an important relationship. So, I will reiterate Jonathan’s challenge ... take a break. We all need to find some time this week (every week) to spend some time resting ... to spend some time with someone important. It may cost you something now; but if you don’t, it may cost you a whole lot more in the future.