Day 19 โ What not to do (avoid)
“๐๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฌ ๐ค๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ๐ง๐ถ๐ญ๐ญ๐บ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ธ๐ข๐ญ๐ฌ, ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ข๐ด ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ธ๐ช๐ด๐ฆ ๐ฃ๐ถ๐ต ๐ข๐ด ๐ธ๐ช๐ด๐ฆ, ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฌ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ด๐ต ๐ถ๐ด๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ช๐ฎ๐ฆ, ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ค๐ข๐ถ๐ด๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฅ๐ข๐บ๐ด ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ฆ๐ท๐ช๐ญ. ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ฅ๐ฐ ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ฃ๐ฆ ๐ง๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ญ๐ช๐ด๐ฉ, ๐ฃ๐ถ๐ต ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ด๐ต๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ช๐ญ๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฅ ๐ช๐ด.” ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ด๐ช๐ข๐ฏ๐ด 5:15-17 ๐๐๐
Yesterday weโve learned to honor the Sabbath by abstaining from work. But our โ8 to 5โ is not the only thing we waste our time on. Society teaches that resting is doing anything else but work, like bench-watching your favourite series or doomscrolling on social media. Though you might rest, but is it wise use of your time? Scripture warns us that the days are evil and we should make choices to make the best use of our time and understand what the will of the Lord is.
Here are a few time thieves to avoid on the Sabbath and rather use the time wisely by doing a Bible study, meet with a ministry group on an outreach, or just spend time with your family worshipping and honoring Him.
โข Spending the day online. I donโt know about you, but I feel drained and tired after spending some time on the internet, whether it is social media scrolling or website hopping. The internet is an information overload, and your brain continues to process long after youโve switched your device off. Yes, even our minds to rest.
โข Stressing yourself out. The Sabbath is a reminder that we depend on God and the greatest gift you can give yourself is not to ruminate on things that worry you. Instead of focusing on the โwhat-ifโsโ, redirect your thinking to remind yourself of Godโs promises to work all things together for your good.
โข Ticking things of your to-do list. Itโs easy to let yourself think that if you just get whatever thing done, then youโll be able to rest. And the moment youโve completed the one task, you think you can quickly do another and then rest. Itโs a cycle keeping you in a state of business where you should be in a state of rest.
Prayer: Father, thank You for teaching us to avoid the things that steal our time. Teach us to be wise stewards of our time by understanding Your will and honoring the Sabbath. Amen.
