I'll be honest, when I was younger the Sabbath meant I could catch up on homework, take a nap, and watch movies, all without having to feel guilty about it. Yes, my parents taught me there were a lot of options for our Sabbath day observance, but I always chose the easy and lazy ones. As I have made personal decisions to realign my will, and my day, with those that the Savior teaches, I have seen such a change in my life.
"And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath." Mark 2:27 As I read that scripture I can only see God's mercy and compassion on us. He knew exactly how we would live our lives, especially in today's society. He understands and recognizes we have so much going on. We burden ourselves with to do lists and think we have to be doing something at every moment. He blessed us with one day that we could "rest from our labors." And on top of that, He gave us a commandment to honor that day! He wants us to take a break from the things we do every single day, as well as the stress that comes with it. When we take a break from work (or making others work), from school, and our to do lists; it is to help us draw closer to Him.
"...Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you..." Exodus 31:13 Our actions on the Sabbath are signs unto God of how we are willing to use the blessings He offers us. A few years ago I committed to no longer do homework on Sunday. Of course, there is no text or rule that says we cannot, it was a personal choice. To me, it wasn't the sign I wanted to give Him. I noticed such a difference that it made on my Sundays. I wasn't suddenly burdened thinking, "Oh I have to do this assignment before tomorrow." My Sundays were filled with the Spirit, which strengthened me throughout the week. Not to mention, I performed and felt better about my classes and my homework.
Recently, I have made other alterations on my Sabbath day observances and cannot believe how real the commandment and the blessings are! Simple changes like choosing to do family history, baking for friends, or visiting nursing homes have made Sundays so special and much more enjoyable, because they are now sacred.
Most importantly though, the Sabbath is His day for us to specifically remember His Son. As we enter the dedicated chapels all around the world, we prepare for the most important 15 minutes of our entire 168 hour week. The sacrament is one of our Heavenly Father's greatest gifts to us. It is there, that we contemplate our week and set goals to become better. It is there, that we partake of the bread and water which renew our covenants with Him. It is during those 15 minutes when we hear what must be the sweetest of prayers to remind us of our commitments to the Father, the love of our Savior, and the gift of the Spirit to be with us always. How significant those moments are that we let pass by without even a thought at times. Each sacrament meeting has become so important to me with these precious reminders of how loved I am, how loved we all are. Nothing has affected me more each week than having time to specifically ponder Jesus Christ's Atonement.
I am eternally grateful that Heavenly Father knows us better than we know ourselves. He knew that I needed a day to come closer to Him, to serve, to study, and to be touched by the Spirit. It is a renovation on my soul and prepares me to face my week with hope as well as a positive outlook. Our living Prophets and Apostles are inspired. We all can improve our Sabbath day observances. I'm thankful we have their counsel and their direction from the Lord, I doubt I would've ever identified it as an area to improve on. Their examples and their words inspire me to do more, to be better, and to try harder. Heavenly Father deserves our effort and our willingness to obey all of His commandments. I hope we each can do our part to give Him back His day and to make the Sabbath a delight.
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