The weekly Sabbath day of rest is one of the most beneficial of Gods blessings for His children. Unfortunately, it is one that most Christians don’t know about or don’t accept. And many who do accept it, take it for granted or treat it very lightly.

Yet the Sabbath is vitally important for Christians! It is important, first of all, simply because God commands it. He specifically set aside the day at Creation: He ". . .blessed the seventh day and made it holy . . . " (Gen. 2:3). Over 2000 years later, when God began dealing with the nation of Israel, He considered the Sabbath rest to be so important that He included it among the cardinal principles He chose to engrave on stone as the Ten Commandments! In the New Testament, Jesus reinforced the teaching and value of the Sabbath. He taught, "The Sabbath was made for man . . . " (Mark 2:27-28).

Fourth Commandment: "Remember the Sabbath

day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy." (Ex. 20:8-11)

It’s important for Christians to keep the Sabbath simply because it’s one of His commands - it’s part of His will for His children. And like all of God’s laws, it’s not an arbitrary restriction; rather it’s designed to set us free. It’s for our good!

In recent decades, researchers have begun learning how critical it is for us to cease from our labors, to have time each day and especially each week for a pause, for a recharging. We have only so much mental/emotional capacity; and unless we periodically recharge ourselves, we will bum out and leave ourselves open to all kinds of physical and mental maladies. God knew when He created us what we needed- that’s why He set aside a day for man! A holy day for man’s benefit - for rest and rejuvenation.

Of course, the importance of the Sabbath goes far beyond our physical and mental well-being. It is vital to our spiritual growth!