Tag Archives: michael

affirmation, choices, Control, Enlightenment, journey, life, Rest, sabbath, self improvement, spiritual enlightenment, Uncategorized

What Is A Sabbath And Why Do I Need One?

The Bible commands us to remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy. The concept of the Sabbath, a day of rest and reflection, is deeply embedded in various religious traditions around the world. In the Abrahamic faiths, particularly Judaism and Christianity, the Sabbath holds immense importance and is an important part of the foundation that everything else is built upon. Today I want to talk about some of the reasons behind God’s establishment of the Sabbath and spend a little time thinking about the sabbath’s enduring relevance, especially in the hustle and bustle of the contemporary society we live in today!

Sabbath Commemorates Creation

One of the primary reasons God instituted the Sabbath is to commemorate the creation of the universe as described in the Book of Genesis. According to the Bible, God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh day. By observing the Sabbath, believers are reminded of God’s creative power and the sanctity of all life. Rest is not a bad thing, it is a necessary thing. All of us should build rest into our lives. Rest allows time for the resetting of our mind, re-energizing of our body and revival of our spirit.

Sabbath Is A Time For Spiritual Renewal and Reflection

The Sabbath provides a designated time for individuals to disconnect from the demands of everyday life and focus on their spiritual well-being. It allows meaningful time for introspection, meditation, and a deeper connection with the Divine. This period of rest rejuvenates the soul and fosters a sense of inner peace. Our lives discover their greater meaning through the discipline of a sabbath.

Sabbath Helps To Build Community & Strengthen Family Bonds

The Sabbath encourages getting together for worship and growing family togetherness. It provides an opportunity for families and communities to gather, share meals, and engage in meaningful conversations and meaningful fellowship. This communal aspect strengthens social bonds and nurtures a sense of belonging, which all of God’s creation needs.

Sabbath Teaches Us To Resist The Tyranny of Work

In a world driven by productivity and materialism, the Sabbath serves as a counterbalance. It reminds individuals that their worth is not solely determined by their work or achievements. Taking a day of rest acknowledges the inherent value of each person and their need for spiritual and emotional nourishment. It is one of the greatest ways to take on and take out the attack of our ego.

Sabbath Promotes Physical And Mental Well-Being

Regular rest is crucial for physical health and mental well-being. The Sabbath encourages individuals to prioritize self-care, allowing them to recharge and face the challenges of the week ahead with renewed vigor. It is very possible to burn yourself out and then you are literally good for nothing.

Sabbath Encourages Us To Practice Gratitude

Observing the Sabbath fosters a sense of gratitude for the blessings in one’s life. It prompts individuals to reflect on the abundance they have received and acknowledge the source of their blessings. This gratitude cultivates a positive outlook and a deeper appreciation for life. The old Gospel hymn says to count your blessings and name them one by one…

Sabbath Sets a Moral and Ethical Standard

The Sabbath emphasizes the importance of ethical behavior and justice. It calls believers to reflect on their actions and consider how they can contribute to a more compassionate and just society. This moral reflection extends beyond the Sabbath, influencing daily conduct. It is amazing how just slowing down and getting quiet will allow the mind to find solutions that were there all along.

The establishment of the Sabbath by God carries profound spiritual, communal, and ethical significance. It serves as a timeless reminder of our connection to the divine, the importance of rest and reflection, and the value of human relationships. In a fast-paced world, the Sabbath stands as a bright light of tranquility and a continual source of spiritual nourishment, offering respite and renewal to all who take the time to observe it by putting it into practice.

Uncategorized

Living Love!

“If we love our Christian brothers and sisters, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead.”  I John 3:14

What Is Love?
What Is Love?

I have talked about this before, in a several different places.  There are many different definitions and ideas about what love is.  Most people in our world now a days, seem to have made themselves very comfortable with the idea that love is something that we fall into and can fall out of.  This idea believes that love is some magical feeling we get when we meet the right person.  If this is what you think of when you think of love, then you are probably right about it being something that we can fall into and out of.

A better word for that magical feeling that we get when we meet that person that makes us feel really special is probably attraction.  Love, real love is appreciating the goodness in another person.  When the Bible speaks of God’s love for us, it is God appreciating the goodness is us.  You may think, but there is nothing good in me compared to God, and you would be right, but we can’t forget that God created us and we are made in His image.  God sees what we can’t see and His attraction to that good in us allows him to appreciate the good that he can see and that is love.

Love is active and we can create it, just by appreciating the goodness that is in another person.  This is why love really is a choice.  A choice that each of us make many times and in many different ways every day.

There are in existence, what I like to think of as different flavors of love.  There is “eros”, where we get our word erotic.  When we accept and appreciate the beauty of the physical in another person, we experience this “eros” love.  Eros love is often the next step after attraction, but it does not have to be.  “Eros” love is about physical passion, gratification and fulfillment.

There is a love called “storge”.  This is the love that parents share with children and children share with parents.  It is only natural to look at your blood and appreciate the goodness, often of yourself that is in them.  This is a love that flows almost naturally and without effort.

There is also “phileo” love.  Philadelphia is the city of brotherly love.  This is a love of affections, a love that takes delight in being in the presence of another.  This is often that warm feeling that seems to come and go.  This is a love that cares about another as if they were blood.

And then there is “agape” love.  This is the love that our Creator loves us with.  This is love that seeks the welfare and blessing of the other person.  This is a love that flows regardless of the feelings or emotions that we often get tangled up in.  This truest of loves is a choice that we make, regardless of how we feel and that is why this love is so powerful.

When we love others, it is proof that the love of God has found its way into our lives.  Proof that we are not dead, but alive to Him and His power that flows into and through our lives. We should seek this love and share this love, because it means that we are alive and being alive, really alive is a good thing!

Uncategorized

It’s A Big Deal!

1 Comment

WOW!
WOW!

It is natural to want to know our place in this world.  Wisdom teaches us that knowing our purpose is not really the most important thing.  The important thing is know that we have purpose.  We search for answers that really will not make much of a difference in our lives.

Look up at the sky.  Now, look around you at the earth.  Isn’t that profound?  You did not get it?  Do it again!  Look up at the sky, really look.  Now, look around you at the earth.  Did you see it?  You are a spiritual being, existing in a human body.  You are on the earth and Heaven is above you.  In reality, you are right now living between heaven and earth.

When we look at the sky, we should contemplate heaven.  The sky is above us and we are below it, what does that tell you?  The sky is endless, vast, right before you and way beyond you.  The sky/heaven is not some abstract philosophical concept, it is a daily reality that is ever-present in our lives.

The clouds come and go, but Heaven is always there.  It is the air we breath and so much more.  It is home to the sun which warms us and gives us life.  We cannot live without the heaven and the earth.

Our spirit is in great need.  It’s contentment comes from the unlimited vastness of the Heavenly domain.  Our spirit never runs out of a new place to roam and call home.  Don’t allow your view of this world and our heavenly home to become too small, because if you do, then you might just miss a very important part of your journey…