11 February | Youth

Virtuality versus Reality

«I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them.» Ezekiel 20:12

The Sabbath commandment requires that on the seventh day of the week you say “no” to the ordinary activities of life and “yes” to worship. You need to slow down to rest and worship.

There are four ways to assess how much social media has interfered in your life as a worshiper.

First: The Sabbath invites us to interrupt common day-to-day activities. This is the initial step if we want to be true worshipers. We should be able to say at the beginning of the Sabbath, “I will not allow secondary concerns to steal the blessings of this day. The rush is over, the distractions have stopped. I will stop everything and assume a carefree attitude.” Allowing the activities of the week to invade sacred time is to stifle the life and peace that the Sabbath promises to bring.

Second: The Sabbath invites us not to miss even a minute of the divine presence. This is the ultimate secret to a life of worship. This is a time for a meeting with the Creator. Think about whether this makes sense: your best friend came to meet you and, instead of enjoying His company, you prefer to stay late into the night chatting with virtual “friends.”

Third: The Sabbath invites us to savor divine blessings. God has clothed the seventh day with a blessing that no other day of the week possesses. The Sabbath gives life, happiness and peace to those who receive it. The blessing of the Sabbath is a dynamic force capable of influencing the other days of the week. So, do not waste time on anything that could distract you from this wonder.

Finally, the Sabbath invites us to know God as He really is. The Sabbath brings weekly certainty that our origin and our destiny are rooted in God. In holy time, God takes human beings out of their common values and invites them into personal communion. Nothing should separate us from God in His day.

What we do on the Sabbath identifies whether we belong to the people of God. Take advantage of the twenty-four sacred hours to commune with Jesus and your family. Disconnect from the virtuality of the world and connect with the reality of Heaven. Thus, the blessing of the Sabbath will be upon you.