R and R
Here's a look at the Sabbath from a coach's point of view.
Any serious coach knows that the most important skill for athletes of all kinds is rhythm. Golfers, runners, ball players, gymnasts, all athletes rely on a sense of timing to perform their skills properly. Get out of rhythm and you have air balls, slices, errors, and injuries. On the other hand, winning streaks and being "in the groove" are the results of an individual or team finding a beat, a good rhythm.
God has given us a rhythm:
1-2-3-4-5-6-rest 1-2-3-4-5-6-rest
Now God didn't rest because He was tired. He rested to help us establish life's rhythm. When my son was born he napped two hours a day except on Sunday when he would nap for 4-5 hours. He seemed to sense this rhythm even as an infant. Now, we can't make a case on the experience of one little boy, but we can sense it in our own lives. When we get out of rhythm, we struggle through the next week and maybe t month. The reason:
Rest. Every coach knows that all good strategy for getting in shape and competing at a high level involves the proper amount of rest. You will not get stronger, faster and tougher by going at exercise harder, harder and harder. You must build in times of rest in order for the body to perform well enough to extend beyond its current limits.
Still, we as a society insist on going seven days a week with no serious planned rest and think that we are being examples of a good work ethic and industriousness. Baloney! We need a better rest ethic or we'll find ourselves depressed and burned out with little or nothing to give.
No rest, no rhythm, no results.
People often talk to me about the need for revival in the church. I see their point, but I also see a church that is too tired for revival, a church that is too out-of-sync for revival. When we start taking the Sabbath seriously once again, we will have taken the first step toward the revival we want. We will be in step with an energetic beat because we are in God's will: 1-2-3-4-5-6-Rest.
About the Author:
Steve Graner is a Christian educator and familyman employed by the Minot, ND Public School District. A licensed laypastor, he is passionate about Christian writing and Christian drama. Along with family and friends, Steve has performed numerous self-written dramas and musicals for area church audiences.