Keeping the Sabbath

I realize that even my title sounds old fashioned.  Keeping the Sabbath holy, what an old-fashioned concept.  Has keeping the Sabbath gone out of fashion?  Is it an idea that is still valid in our busy, sports-driven culture? And just what does keeping the Sabbath mean?

During the Summer 1924 Olympics in Paris, runner Eric Liddell was the favorite to win the 100 meters for Scotland.  No one from Scotland had ever won a gold medal before.  However, Liddell was a committed Christian and had always refused to run on Sundays. He believed that Sundays were consecrated to worship God.  The 100 meters race happened to be scheduled on a Sunday.  In spite of intense international pressure, Liddell refused to run in that Olympic race, choosing “rather to ^endure ill-treatment with the people of God, than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin; ^considering the reproach of ^Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the ^reward.”^ Heb. 11:37  Instead, Liddell ran in the 400 meters. “The day of 400 meters race came, and as Liddell went to the starting blocks, an American masseur slipped a piece of paper into Liddell's hand with a quotation from 1 Samuel 2:30, "Those who honor me I will honor." Liddell ran with that piece of paper in his hand. He not only won the race, but broke the existing world record with a time of 47.6 seconds.”  - Wikipedia   Eric Liddell is famous for saying, “God made me fast, and when I run, I feel His pleasure.”

These days, I notice many gifted athletes. Athletes that God has gifted, yet I wonder if they are honoring God with their sports. So many teams now have competitions on Sunday mornings.  A soccer complex of maybe 10 fields or so near my parents’ home is filled with teams, children and parents on Sunday mornings when my parents head off to church. 

Another consideration that is often not considered anymore is working in your job on Sundays.  Many people express a fear of being fired if they tell their boss they can’t work on Sunday mornings.  Yes, perhaps this may happen. Yet, what does God promise us? “^Are not two sparrows sold for a ^cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But ^the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Therefore do not fear; ^you are of more value than many sparrows.”

In many foreign countries like China, India, Pakistan and the Philippines our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ are literally dying to go to church.  We take for granted that we can attend church “if we feel like it”, yet in these countries when Christians gather together they risk imprisonment, beatings, burnings and even death.  These things happen to Christians who worship together on a regular basis and we worry about being kicked off the team or losing a job!?  I wonder where our priorities are.

Hebrews 10:23-25 says, “Let us hold fast the ^confession of our ^hope without wavering, for ^He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how ^to stimulate one another to love and ^good deeds, not forsaking our own ^assembling together, as is the habit of some, but ^encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see ^the day drawing near.”

I don’t know what you believe about this and I don’t wish to be dogmatic, but I think perhaps we all need to rethink the issue of what it means to keep the Sabbath in our own lives.  Our God has done so much for us, and to set aside one day for Him does not seem to be too much.