Whether we’re young, middle aged, or retired, most of us are busy people. Even if we’re not very active, the pace of life around us often feels frantic.
God knows our tendency to be distracted by work, stress, and worries that often take over our lives. His intent in the fourth commandment is that we set time aside regularly to rest from the busyness of life and spend it in fellowship with God and others.
So how does this work relationally? Some of us may think we’d be happy to work seven days a week. But never-ending work would slowly shape and change us in ways that displease God and diminish our own humanity. Without giving our bodies and minds the break God intended, and without using that break to spend time with God and others, we become less of what God had in mind for us. Increasingly we become shaped by “busyness” and not by relationships.
Our weekly Sabbath-keeping anticipates what the Bible calls “eternal rest.” Eternal rest is not a matter of perpetual laziness. It’s about being in tune with God and what God has planned for us. As we live out our days on this earth, it means taking deliberate steps to guard one day a week to refocus on what God intends for us and to become realigned with the rhythm of life God created us for.
PRAYER
Lord, we are busy people. Sometimes we love it, and other times we hate it. Help us to understand the Sabbath you intend for us; teach us when and how to rest. In Jesus, Amen.
无论是青年、中年、老年、或退休的，大多数人都很忙碌，就是那些不甚活跃的人，我们四周的生活节奏也往往显得非常急促。
神知道我们总会因工作、压力，和忧虑感到苦恼，以致整个人被这些事操纵了。神定了第四条诫命，目的是要我们定时拨出时间，在忙碌的生活中休息一下，并且用这段时间来与神和与人相交。
这样做如何影响我们与人的关系呢？有些人可能宁愿一星期工作七天，但日以继夜的工作会慢慢改变我们，神不喜悦我们这样，而这样也弄成我们自己不像一个人。如果我们不按神的旨意让身体和脑袋休息，如果我们不用这段休息的时间来与神和与人交往，我们便不能达到神造我们的旨意。我们只会越来越被「忙碌」控制，不再看重人际关系了。
我们每周守安息日，预表圣经所说的「永远的安息。」永远的安息不是终生懒惰，它乃是与神协调，又与神在我们身上的计划协调。仍在世上活时，我们应决心每星期留下一天的时间，用来重新思考神在我们身上的旨意，又重整神造我们时赐给我们的生活节奏。
祷告
主啊，我们是忙碌的人，有时我们喜爱忙碌，但有时我们却厌恶这样。求祢帮助我们明白，设立安息日的旨意，又教导我们应何时和怎样休息。奉耶稣名祈求，阿们。