7 Ways to Keep the Lord’s Day Holy

The fourth commandment says to keep the Lord’s Day holy, but how do we keep a day holy? What does this entail? We can do seven things to put us on the right track: do not buy or sell, do not work, dress in your Sunday best, attend service at a designated time and place, be renewed through church service, review what you learned with family, and evangelize.

First, we should refrain from buying and selling things. We interact with the world as consumers. We buy things all the time. If you are in business, you sell things. And if you work, you sell your services. Buying and selling are integral parts of our lives. To keep the Lord’s Day holy try cutting ties from these kinds of transactions. Stop using money for one day! Step away from your bustling life as a consumer and focus on God!

Second, we must not work on the Lord’s Day. It is the one day to put our work aside and turn our attention to the Lord. When we decide not to work on Sundays, it can’t be something we ease into; we must stop working cold turkey. Sin in any form must be cut out at once, or it develops an immune response that makes it almost impossible to eliminate.

Third, we must put on our Sunday best when going to church. We are going to meet the almighty God. Dress appropriately! Our clothes, appearance, mind, body, and disposition must be “washed clean” before we go to church. In other words, we must put our best foot forward, internally and externally, when going to church.

Fourth, we must attend service at a designated time and place. We can’t bounce around churches or decide to go to church when we wake up. We must go to the same church, hold service at the same time and place every week. This kind of discipline is necessary to keep the Lord’s Day holy.

Fifth, we must be alert during service. We can’t sleep through a service. While listening to a sermon, we must receive the power of the holy spirit. We must renew our relationship with God. We must become closer to God. We must ask ourselves, “What is God trying to teach me today? Is He happy or unhappy with me? What are the things I need to repent and what are the things I need to do?” We must renew and revitalize our faiths on Sundays. It is the time to sanctify ourselves.

Sixth, after service, it’s easy to think we are done with God’s work and revert to our daily pattern. We should gather our family and review what we have learned that day at church. Review what God expects from us and the things we can do better as a family and as individuals.

Seventh, after we have sat around with the family and discussed the teachings of the day, go to bed early and prepare for the work week. Or if we have time left, visit other church members or students. Preach the word of God to others.

Sundays are spent revitalizing our faiths and the faiths of others. It is the most important day of the week. Saturdays are the second most important because it’s the day to prepare for Sunday. Unless you prepare on Saturday, you can’t keep the Lord’s Day holy. Monday is the third most important day. It’s the first day to try and execute the things we learned on Sunday.

Without keeping the Lord’s Day holy, we cannot succeed as Christians or build our faiths. If we do these seven things, we are on the right track towards keeping the Lord’s Day holy.

Summary:
Keeping the Lord’s Day
1. Don’t buy or sell
2. Don’t work
3. Wear your Sunday best
4. Church at same time and place
5. Be renewed and revitalized
6. Review with family
7. Preach to others