It was four years after I had started The Journey Church. I was having my regular phone calls with one of my mentors in Atlanta.
I was complaining. Frustrated. Tired. My waistline was expanding and so was my to-do list.
(And although I didn’t have the guts to tell him, my marriage wasn’t in a great place either).
He called me a sinner! I was looking for something a bit more compassionate.
He went on to explain that he wasn’t just talking about me being an “ordinary sinner” (as if there is such) but a major one! He told me I needed to repent. Said I was violating the 10 Commandments.
I pushed back: “All the commandments I have kept since my youth.” (Sounded biblical, right?)
“You aren’t keeping the 4th Commandment. You are violating the Sabbath. Every problem you are having right now is because of this. I bet your marriage isn’t doing that great either!”
I use these words cautiously but THAT WAS THE DAY MY LIFE CHANGED. I started what has now been a ten-year journey in learning to keep the Sabbath. Since that conversation with my caring mentor, everything has changed for me.
BTW, here’s the 4th Commandment:
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God . . .”
In learning to honor this commandment, by the grace of God, here’s some of the results I have experienced:
- My to-do list still large and growing (I lead a large and growing ministry) BUT its not overwhelming me – I have a ‘handle’ on what God is calling me to do.
- I’ve learned to prioritize and focus on the things that matter most
- I can’t remember the last time I missed a day off or had to cancel ‘family time’ because I just ‘couldn’t get away.’
- My waistline has shrunk (yep – seems there’s a correlation between high stress, low rest and big pants!).
- My cholesterol and blood pressure are normal (even ‘low normal’)
- I’ve accomplished more over the last seven years than any other seven years in my life (Book #10 comes out this fall, Journey Church is growing with record numbers, etc.)
…And on and on I could go.
I should’ve listed this first, but my relationship with God is at a better place than it’s ever been (I’m still an ‘ordinary sinner’ saved by grace but there’s a weekly vitality that I missed my first 13 years in ministry).
Quite frankly, I HAVE LEARNED THE POWER OF THE SABBATH!
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With Father’s Day coming up this weekend, I want you to reclaim this stronger relationship with our Father and be the pastor God has called you to be!
Your partner in ministry
Nelson
P.S. Full confession . . . this Sabbath resource is not for everyone. It’s only for those who want to maximize the time, life, energy and Godly and physical strength that God has given them each week to make the biggest Kingdom impact. Honestly, I don’t anticipate this resource to be a huge bestseller like some of my ‘church systems’ resources, but for those who use it, it will be life changing.
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