Oh, to be an obedient Christian.  We get very worked up about others who don’t obey God’s law, all the while ignoring the fact that most of us not only disobey the basic commandments of Ex. 20 but do so without batting an eyelash.  Do we truly have no other God’s before Yahweh and put Him first in everything we do?  Do we ever misuse God’s name meaning do we do anything wrong and either excuse it or blame it on being God’s people?  How many of us remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy?  Do we really have a day each week where we do no work?  at all?  Where we dedicate the day to resting up and remembering God?  Honoring your father and mother meant caring for them financially, emotionally, and legally in their old age when they couldn’t care for themselves.  Do we all do that, or do we rely on their nursing homes, their 401Ks or their savings to do it for us?  Do we ever lie about our neighbors or friends?  Do we ever want what others have rather than being satisfied with what God has given us?

An interesting exercise for us today.  In Matt. 5-7, the famous Sermon on the Mount that we read together a few weeks ago, Jesus took some of the commandments (don’t kill, don’t commit adultery) and increased the restrictions and focused them on attitude rather than behavior (don’t even be angry, don’t even lust).  What might Jesus have said about the other 8 Commandments in this section?  How might He have changed them to increase the restrictions and focus them on attitude?  Let’s try one together.  “You have heard it said, ‘You shall not steal’, but I tell you don’t even desire another person’s possessions.  Instead, give thanks to your Father in heaven for the bountiful blessings He has given you.”

Try the other 7 and see what you get.  Then remember that we cannot be perfect (the last command of that particular section of the Sermon on the Mount) and that God forgives us when we’re not.

Good boundaries are essential for effective work and life.  If we don’t keep our boundaries, we will burn out.  Keeping a Sabbath each week, a day to rest from the norm, is not only essential for health, it is commanded by God, so perhaps this should take a higher place of importance in our spiritual ponderings.

How are your boundaries when it comes to your workplace?  Moses was new to the administrative work of his position, and thankfully had a good adviser in his father-in-law Jethro.  Moses was hearing every case for the millions of people freshly freed from Egypt.  Not only did this take up too much of his time, it was burning him out.  But interestingly, it was also burning out the people who came to him.  So Jethro suggests a management model, Moses agrees, and finds some better boundaries in his worklife.  And these boundaries, as they always do, lead to a healthier leader and a healthier community.

How are your boundaries when it comes to your everyday life?  Do you keep a Sabbath day?  While the Sabbath isn’t to be kept as a law or even a rule to obey, it is given to us as a gift.  For 6 days, knock yourself out with your busyness.  But on the seventh, you need to rest and recuperate.  For Jews, the whole week revolves around this Sabbath.  They have three days to prepare for it, and then three days to reflect and be thankful for it before the cycle begins again.  God reminded them of this in their desert wanderings when He gave them 2 days worth of manna every Fri.  Before you decide you just can’t take a day off, reread this section and ponder how God might give you all you need the other six days so you can rest on the seventh.