HYDRATE. (Commandment #4)

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Exodus 20:8

 

It’s taken me 4 weeks of studying these 10 COMMANDments to get something incredibly important through my entirely too thick head…

• None of us likes being whipped into submission.
• Getting yelled at causes us to raise our guard.
• Being COMMANDED to do something makes us want dig in our heels.

Too often, I believe we picture a fierce and angry God mandating these rules from on high to an equally fed-up Moses.  Then carved them on stone tablets with a clanging chisel to drive the point home.

But that just isn’t it.

When we understand the heart that gave these Commandments, it should change the heart that receives them.

Think of it this way:  sometimes I expect much more from my three year old than he is capable of instinctually doing on his own.  For instance, this summer I caught him (four times!) HANGING out of his brother’s 2nd floor bedroom window trying to toss legos into the rain gutter of the roof below.  No matter how many times I’ve punished, yelled, or placed his tiny hand on the terrified beat of my heart, he just doesn’t believe me when I say he could fall.

Exodus 20 is like this message from the Father:

Alright, I’d hoped you’d understand these things for yourselves, but you just keep on hanging your tummy farther out that window.  For your protection, I’m going to give it to you straight.  You’ve got to trust me, these boundaries are here to keep you safe.

In light of that, “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it Holy” has become my absolute favorite commandment of the bunch.

But it’s been a long road getting me here…

When Steve and I got married, we spent a year searching for a church that would fit us both.  Some Sundays we would lay in bed and whisper “you want to go I-HOP instead?”.  The process was exhausting.  And just when we’d landed on The One, we packed up and moved to Europe.

Gone were the days of church “shopping”.  English speaking was all we could afford to be picky about now.  But, finally, after many years, we found the place where we belonged.  We dove right in.  “Dedicated” didn’t quite cover the Yoder family’s commitment to this church.  If there was a need, we tried to fill it.  And Steve also eventually became the head Elder.

But, one day, our pastor had an unexpected, and very difficult talk with me.  In a phone conversation, he confided that he’d had some serious concerns about our family.

I felt kicked in the gut.

Guarded, I asked, “Why?”.

“Well for one thing, do you all go to church when you’re on holiday?”  The question surprised me, but I answered honestly, and told him “No, generally not.”

The response felt sharp, “I didn’t think so.  It would be INCONCEIVABLE for me to be anywhere in the world on a Sunday morning and not find a church to attend.”

I sat holding my end of the phone speechless.  Was he really calling into question our faith and dedication to Christ as a family because we didn’t go to church when on vacation?

I believe his intentions were in the right place.  His words probably weren’t.

One thing that bothers me a great deal in church is “Legalism”.  But, to be fair, you know what else I can’t stand? Calling something “legalistic” just because you don’t want to do it.

That talk made me mad, but it also made me think.  Am I digging in my heels like a scolded toddler here?

When I asked the Father, this is what He began to teach me:

I have a completely ridiculous habit of not drinking water.  I can go the entire day and forget to have ANY.  I often have dreams where I drink and drink and no matter how much water I find, I still need more.  I wake up in the middle of the night and realize I’m insanely thirsty.  When your body resorts to using your dreams to tell you things, it’s a dire circumstance.  Eyes half shut, I make my way to the kitchen and guzzle a couple of glasses.  No doubt, I drink more in the night, out of necessity, than I ever do while I’m awake.

It makes no sense for me to act this way.  Water is fundamental to our bodies.  It’s supposed to comprise 60% of our weight.  Everyone knows this.  I know this!   But I’ve survived too many days on headaches, nausea, blackouts, and even shakes, all because I don’t give my body this simple thing it’s been designed to require.

Consider this:  Like water is to our body, the Sabbath is to our spirit.  We were created for church.  As God fashioned each of us, he equipped us with the things we need to weather our lives… from sunken sockets to protect our fragile eyes, to a desire for human intimacy.  We are woven with fundamental needs.

The Sabbath is designed to give us REST and to RECHARGE our spirit through HIM.  We were built for this day.

But instead, we experience and tolerate the spiritual equivalents to “headaches, nausea, blackouts, and shakes”.  We lack direction, vision, discernment, and inspiration.  Our jobs drain the life from us.  We search endlessly for fulfillment.  We’re lonely.  We’re selfish.  Our talents waste away.  Or we simply just MISS church.  Our spirit knows what it needs, and it sends us signals, but, mostly, we’ve lost the sensitivity to recognize them.  That’s exactly why we have this law from our Father to remind us!

The world is dying a slow spiritual death because Satan has worked endlessly to convince us all – even Christians – we don’t really need church.  We can have a good quiet walk through the forest, a podcast on a run, an inspiring quote on Twitter, a moment of meditation, an encouraging chat with a friend — and it’s quite enough.

I don’t know about you, but I need to HYDRATE with real water for my soul.  No substitutes allowed.  We were made for this, IT was made for us.  Luckily, Sundays come surprisingly regularly.  Looks like we still have time to do this right…

Forget I-HOP, start looking for a church that makes you excited to wake up!