C.H.E. Sadaphal's Blog, page 8
May 19, 2016
STRENGTHS BASED LEADERSHIP by TOM RATH
The bottom line: Gain insight into how you can lead best so that you can start doing more of it.
Before I get into the review, a word of advice to all potential buyers: Unless you have already taken a StrengthsFinder quiz and know your dominant themes, you must buy this book new. A new book comes with an exclusive one-time access code in the back that unlocks an online survey. Your unique survey results will then calculate what your strengths are, so that you can get the most value out of Strengths Based Leadership.
Research demonstrates that people tend not to utilize their natural talents, leading to frustration. Even more, most people also tend not the scale their strengths, but instead focus on scrutinizing their weaknesses.
This book makes the case that the best leaders are not, in fact, well-rounded, but maximize their innate gifts with an acute awareness of who they are and the needs of those they lead.
Strengths Based Leadership provides a general framework for effective leadership and helps you identify what your strengths are.
Strengths Based Leadership is the “executive version” of the acclaimed StrengthsFinder 2.0. Both books use the same formula to compute your strengths: by taking a 177-question online assessment. Your “grade” on this test computes your top five themes which you can then read about amongst the 34 themes described in this book.
What Strengths Based Leadership does very well is introduce you to the real leader in you and not the version of a leader formed in the image of popular culture. This book provides tailored, specific and actionable advice on how you can lead in all areas of life. Ultimately, Strengths Based Leadership will likely be a go-to resource well into the future.
Dr. C. H. E. Sadaphal
May 13, 2016
WHY TEENAGERS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE STUPID
My wife is an adolescent medicine doctor, meaning she is a pediatrician that specializes in teenagers. A key idea she has always emphasized is that the adolescent brain is not fully developed—particularly when it comes to executive function.
This means the teenage brain has yet to develop the neurons or brain tissue that regulate impulse control and tell them things like, “This isn’t a good idea.” This lack of brain development helps explain why teenagers are more likely to engage in risky behaviors and why, in their minds, there is a distinct gap between short-term behaviors and their long-term consequences. Indeed, a scientific and biological explanation exists as to why teenagers are supposed to be stupid.
With this in mind, consider two recent cases of utter insanity in the news.
The first case involves a former Arizona high school student by the name of Hunter Osborn who was arrested and taken to jail after being charged with 69 counts of indecent exposure and one count of supplying detrimental materials to minors.
The latter charge is a felony.
So what did Mr. Osborn do? He exposed himself in a yearbook photo of the school’s football team. Mr. Osborn admitted to doing what he did after taking a dare. Most people who saw the photo didn’t even notice the indiscretion. Yet, a parent did notice and then notified Red Mountain High School. The school then called the police.
It certainly seems logical for Mr. Osborn’s parents and Red Mountain High School to take some form of disciplinary action against him since what he did was stupid. At the end of the day, even if he does suffer from “teenage brain,” this does not dismiss the fact that he should be held accountable for his actions. That accountability can take many simple forms that do not involve creating a criminal record for an 18 year old. He may atone for his wrongs with a sacrifice that matches the gravity of his sin. For instance, he could perform community service. He could be sentenced to clean the school for weeks. He could be required to do extra coursework. But considering that Mr. Osborn did not intentionally cause any irrevocable harm to any person, he certainly does not belong in jail. His infraction was so unnoticeable that the photographer and the school didn’t even notice his exposure until someone later pointed it out. In the end, we’re treating a teenager like a dangerous adult criminal while acting as though teenagers aren’t supposed to be stupid—but they are.
Does any reasonable adult think that putting Mr. Osborn in jail for a stupid teenage mistake will actually serve him better in the long run and transform him into a productive adult? If one thinks that is the case, then we should, by that logic, turn high schools into jails. Why? Because, according to The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, The Pew Internet & American Life Project and the Cox Communications Teen Online & Wireless Safety Survey, one out of five teens admits to having sent or posted nude or semi-nude photos or videos of themselves. Social proof does not condone foolish behavior but invites the authorities to consider that locking up teens (which inhibits value creation) may not be the best approach to stemming such a pervasive problem. On the other hand, the alternative¾those teens being in school—does create value.
The second case of insanity involves Levar Allen, a 17-year-old Louisiana high school student. A 16-year-old girl initiated and texted Mr. Allen nude pictures of herself. Mr. Allen reciprocated. The police then charged him with contributing to the delinquency of a minor and possession of child pornography.
Because the girl is younger than 17, she was also charged with sexting, but as a misdemeanor. Because Mr. Allen is 17, he was charged with a felony.
Without even getting into the issue of race, Mr. Allen’s case is the more absurd for one reason: in Louisiana, sexting is criminal while actual sex isn’t. The age of sexual consent in Louisiana is 17, and those younger than 17 can consent if their age is within two years of their partner. This means Mr. Allen (17 years old) could have legally had sex with his 16-year-old sexting partner, yet sexting between the these same two people is illegal according to Louisiana state law. Essentially, Louisiana is exposing itself for the sheer absurdity of its laws. You don’t even have to agree with the state’s laws to appreciate that they defy common sense. Here, pictures that are suggestive of an act are deemed more offensive than the act itself.
In these cases, the laws against child pornography are valid, reasonable, and intended to protect the vulnerable. Yet when such laws are applied recklessly without common sense and without a regard for the people that they are intended to protect, the rule of law is thereby transformed from a shield into a weapon.
The adolescent brain is underdeveloped. We know this. So, we know teenagers are supposed to be stupid. The stupid application of valid laws, however, does not yield intelligible results.
When I was a teenager, I was stupid. Now, I believe I have grown into a well-adjusted adult. Looking back, it is clear that criminalizing my teenage stupidity would have done more harm than good.
So can’t we all stop being so hypersensitive for one moment and simply embrace the fact that teenagers are supposed to be stupid and that, generally speaking, the ultimate cure for that isn’t jail time—it’s just time.
Dr. C. H. E. Sadaphal
May 12, 2016
STRENGTHSFINDER 2.0 by TOM RATH
The bottom line: Gain insight into what you do best so that you can start doing more of it.
Before I get into the review, a word of advice to all potential buyers: You must buy this book new. A new book comes with an exclusive one-time access code in the back that unlocks an online survey. Your unique survey results will then calculate what your strengths are, so that you can get the most value out of StrengthsFinder 2.0 . Without an original unique code, the book is of no help to you unless you already know your strengths and want to read up on them.
Research demonstrates that people tend not to utilize their natural talents, leading to frustration. Even more, most people also tend not the scale their strengths, but instead focus on scrutinizing their weaknesses.
StrengthsFinder 2.0 is designed to help you first identify what your innate talents are, so that you can invest in them and produce strength, or consistent near-perfect performance.
The key idea behind StrengthsFinder 2.0 is that in order for you to be successful, you must not waste taste time on what you can’t do well, but to invest heavily in what you can do well.
This is accomplished by taking a 177-question online assessment. Your “grade” on this test computes your top five themes which you can then read about amongst the 34 themes described in this book. So, StrengthsFinder 2.0 isn’t a book that you read cover to cover but only focus on those themes applicable to you. Each theme describes the type of person that fits in the category, what a person with the theme sounds like in real-life, gives dozens of ideas for action to cultivate the theme, and concludes with tips for others who have that theme.
What this book does very well is introduce you to the real you and not the version of you that others have molded for you. With this sincere insight in mind, you will be equipped with the tools needed to leverage what you do best into your job, career, and life in general.
You may also find a hidden talent that you never would have explored on your own. What the book doesn’t do well is give out ideas for action that are very general, vague, and in some instances common sense. Especially for a theme that you may already have a sense of (e.g. “Analytical”) the book suggests blatantly obvious ideas (e.g. work in a field in which you analyze).
Ultimately, StrengthsFinder 2.0 is a useful book compels you to take a good, hard look at who you really are and will likely be a go-to resource well into the future.
Dr. C. H. E. Sadaphal
May 6, 2016
THE GOOD SAMARITAN: A FOCUSED BIBLE STUDY OF LUKE 10:29-37
Jesus replied and said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead. And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him. On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.’ Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’ hands?” And he said, “The one who showed mercy toward him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do the same” (Luke 10:30-37, NASB).
In these verses, Jesus tells the commonly known parable of the Good Samaritan. It is important to note that this narrative is in fact an answer given by Jesus to the question posed in verse 29 by an unnamed lawyer: “And who is my neighbor?”
There are several keys terms in the text that require explanation. Understanding these terms doesn’t necessarily take away from the central thrust of the parable, but it does illuminate the reader’s understanding of the deeper meaning of the text.
And a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” And He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?” And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” And He said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live ” (Luke 10:25-28).
Lawyer. If we take a few steps back to verse 25, we obtain some background information on the lawyer who asks the question that prompts Jesus to tell the parable. The term lawyer comes from the Greek nomikos, meaning an expert in the law, particularly one who is well learned in the Mosaic Law. The text says that this nomikos asks Jesus a question in order to test Him. This term comes from the Greek ekpeirazō, meaning to examine thoroughly or to tempt. The one asking the question, then, is not genuinely interested in information but rather searching for a pretext to accuse the Messiah.
Priest. This is a religious official, one who offers sacrifices in the Temple. The fact that this person was traveling from Jerusalem (where the Temple was) to Jericho means that whatever this fictional character was going to do, it was not en route to serving in the Temple.
Levite. In a narrow sense, these were members of a group who served as assistants to the priests in the Temple. This group had a concern for holiness and also depended on the tithes of the people for support (Deut. 26:12-13).
Samaritan. This is one of the most important terms for one to understand if not familiar with Jewish history and tradition. Basically, in the past, Israel was one unified kingdom. After the death of King Solomon, the kingdom split into two: a northern part and a southern part. Subsequently, the Assyrians conquered the northern kingdom and the Babylonians conquered the southern kingdom. When the north was displaced, much “intermixing” went on between families, religious practices, cultures, and customs. Samaritans descended from the Israelites who were transplanted after the conquest of the Assyrians of the northern kingdom. Resultantly, many from the south viewed the Samaritans as “tainted,” to the extent that Samaritans were regarded as foreigners (e.g., Luke 17:16-18).
They and the Jews were openly hostile, and the Samaritans were regarded as unclean and spiritual and physical “half-breeds.” Essentially, Jesus makes the Samaritan the hero of the story, which is revolutionary considering the social and historical context. In this parable, Jesus was telling the lawyer that the very group that he despised was the very group that he ought to emulate.
Justify. The NRSV of Luke 10:29 says, “But wanting to justify himself, [the lawyer] asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’” (emphasis added). The Greek word for justify is dikaioō, which according to Strong’s Concordance means “to render just or innocent; to show one to be righteous, such as he is and wishes himself to be considered.” The reason why this word is important is twofold: (1) The internal motivation of self-justification reveals that the lawyer is concerned with his own credibility and thus requests an interpretation of “neighbor.” (2) The lawyer implies a sense of exclusion in the concept of neighbor, contextualized in the notion of justification. As Jesus will explain, inclusion is what characterizes His formulation of neighbor, even those whom you scorn. Hence, inclusive kindness to all is what will make one just.
The words of Jesus at the end of telling the parable highlight the overall message of this story: “Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise” (Luke 10:36-37; emphasis added). Recall that the purpose of Jesus telling this parable was to answer a question: “And who is my neighbor?” (verse 29). Jesus answers the question not by describing qualifying characteristics of other people—this would be a formula for exclusion.
Instead, Jesus qualifies neighborliness by what the lawyer should do—this is a formula of inclusion and knows no boundaries, whether they be sex, age, race, ethnicity, culture, or economic status. The issue now is not the limit of obligation but the limitless extent of opportunity to love one’s neighbor.
In the Bible, there is never a commandment against asking questions. Yet, asking them, as the lawyer did, for the purpose of gaining over someone else, is not a way to eternal life. Asking a question without earnest intent to implement the answer also renders the question futile. In a very insightful and meaningful way, Jesus is telling the lawyer that his question is flawed. The lawyer should not be asking, “Whom is deserving of my mercy?” Rather, he should ask, “How can I show mercy to everyone?” The word mercy is also important because it is translated from the Greek eleos, which means “compassion; kindness; good will toward the miserable and afflicted.” Eleos also refers to the concept of the clemency of God in providing and offering salvation to humankind. If there is any crucial correlation to the entire gospel message, it would be here, in the word mercy. For God so loved the world that He sent Jesus (John 3:16), and through the exclusive door of Christ, humankind may at last be reconciled back to God. The fact that Jesus dwelt among us is an act of eleos from a God who needs nothing toward a creation that is undeserving.
There are several other minor points within the parable that are worth highlighting briefly.
Knowing. Knowing about God and doing God’s will are two separate concepts. The lawyer, the priest, and the Levite all knew God’s commands. The lawyer was even able to answer Jesus’s Bible trivia question correctly. The priest and the Levite, for obvious reasons, were well educated in the Law. Yet, none of these individuals actually did the will of God. Having the right knowledge does not mean one will actually act on that knowledge. And, if we take out the parable from Luke 10, we essentially find the lawyer asking, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus then replies, “Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” The lawyer then says, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus’s final answer is then, “Go and do likewise.” In other words, “You know what is good, and now you know who your neighbor is. Now go and do.”
Inversion. As Fred B. Craddock (2009) writes in Luke Interpretation:
“Ceremonially unclean, socially outcast, and religiously a heretic, the Samaritan is the very opposite of the lawyer as well as the priest and the Levite. The story must have been a socking one to the first audience, shattering their categories of who are and who are not the people of God.” (p. 150)
Jesus shattered the social norms of the day by inverting people’s perceptions of others. He revealed that those who considered themselves “upright” were acting shamefully, and He lifted up those on the margins as people who were “worthy” enough to be treated well. It is very significant that the person Jesus commended was neither a religious leader or an associate, but the despised alien. He also offered a timeless example that acting in love and neighborliness is without preference, is without partiality, and expects nothing in return. This again ties in to the grand message of the gospel as Jesus declares earlier in Luke 4:18-19:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor, He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
The Characters. Psychologically speaking, if the priest and Levite are depicted in wholly detestable terms, readers or listeners will fail to see themselves in the story. On the other hand, a person can also not be too quick to associate themselves with the Samaritan.
After all, the text describes a Samaritan who abruptly changed his itinerary and delayed his travel plans to assist a roadside stranger; he voluntarily assumed risk upon himself to assist the victim; he spent his own money—with no promise of reimbursement—and then offered to provide more financial assistance if further care was required. All of this was done cognizant of the possibility that when the victim fully recovered he may scorn and spite the Samaritan because of who he was. This is a very tough act to follow.
The Law versus the Law. Finally, it must be mentioned that all blame cannot be hurled at the priest and the Levite. That is, technically speaking, Mosaic Law prescribed that contact with a corpse would have made these two men ceremonially unclean and therefore disqualified them from their temple duties (Leviticus 21:1; Numbers 19:11). And yes, the victim on the road was not dead, but he may have appeared that way after being left by the robbers “half dead.” Resultantly, it is plausible to say that the priest and the Levite may have been in tension as one part of the Law (don’t touch) fought against another part of the Law (love your neighbor). I will not explore expansive theological connections between the Mosaic Law and Christ, but it is worth mentioning that in our everyday lives, when duty seems to conflict with duty, we have to remember what the two greatest commandments are: to love God to love your neighbor (Matthew 22:34-40; Mark 12:28-31). Purity rules did not save the man on the side of the road. It was the love and compassion that one neighbor had for another.
Dr. C. H. E. Sadaphal
May 5, 2016
PLEASING GOD: DISCOVERING THE MEANING AND IMPORTANCE OF SANCTIFICATION by R.C. SPROUL
The bottom line: Strong Biblical advice on how to reach authentic spiritual maturity.
Sanctification refers to being made or becoming holy. God is perfect and holy, and experience tells us that people are imperfect and far from holy. Sanctification, then, is the process by which flawed believers can please a flawless God by seeking uprightness and growing in their relationship with Him.
This book explains what sanctification is, how it works, and how sanctification plays out in everyday life. Above anything else, what Pleasing God reveals is that sanctification is a process and not an event, and thus characterized by steady, incremental progress and not abrupt, miraculous changes.
Generally speaking, Pleasing God devotes a bulk of its pages on those negative influences that discourage the believer in the sanctification process. The book begins (“Tender Grace”) by explaining that the start of a Christian’s life begins by an act of grace from God through the regeneration of the Holy Spirit. Regeneration is a one-time, immediate, irreversible event, and the subsequent sanctification is stepwise. Sproul next highlights the goal of Christian living (to seek the kingdom and righteousness) and then details the path one takes to reach that destination. “The Battle with the World,” “The Battle with the Flesh,” and “The Battle with the Devil” all speak about the stumbling blocks that exist to deter and frustrate the Christian. Here, strategies are also described on how to overcome these stumbling blocks. Pleasing God then discusses the detrimental effects of fear and guilt, and how they find ultimate resolution in the forgiveness of God. Chapters 10 through 13 discuss the fallacy of the “carnal Christian” and how the sins of pride, slothfulness and dishonesty can delude believers in living fraudulent, disobedient lives. The book ends (“Never Give Up”) with words of encouragement knowing the battle ahead will be long and challenging.
As with anything else written by Dr. R.C. Sproul, this book offers Biblically sound, clear and precise explanations using plain language and relatable terms.
If you would like to read a blueprint of God’s plan for spiritual maturity for your life, then you will likely find much value in Pleasing God .
This practical book illuminates how lasting, authentic, Christ-centered change is accessible to everyone.
Dr. C. H. E. Sadaphal
April 29, 2016
ON DEHUMANIZATION
The world is filled with bad news. There seems to be an endless supply of malice, and the expression of evil appears to be getting more and more diverse. Take, as examples, the leveraging of xenophobia and bigotry in an attempt to win an American presidential election, the deteriorating race relations in the United States, the recent terror attacks in Brussels, drone strikes, and the rise of ISIS in the Middle East. The proliferation of tragic realities does not, in fact, represent a progression of evil but rather intensifying manifestations of the same, simple phenomenon. This phenomenon transcends these examples and cuts across time, geography, race, ethnicity, and gender. This phenomenon is dehumanization.
April 28, 2016
ARE THESE THE LAST DAYS? by R.C. SPROUL
The bottom line: This book provides many solid answers, just not to the book’s central question.
So are these the last days? After reading this book, you’re not left with a definitive answer, but what you will learn is that there is better issue to concern yourself with (more on that later).
The more fitting title for this booklet would be “The Olivet Discourse,” referring to an apocalyptic monologue Jesus addressed to His disciples about events to come.
This book succinctly elucidates what Jesus meant by His words, what He was referring to, and what this means for us today.
Contrary to what the title may suggest, Are These the Last Days? is not about what the end times will look and feel like.
Because the Olivet Discourse is apocalyptic, there is some inherent difficulty in determining what Jesus “really meant” in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21. Subsequently, Are These the Last Days? takes a very humble approach in its thorough explanations, and it takes the effort mount counter-arguments to competing interpretations, giving the reader a well-balanced view of the Olivet Discourse. “The Destruction of the Temple” makes the case that Jesus’s words were a special reference to a judgment on the Jewish nation, opening up where we live today, the age of the Gentiles. “Signs of the Times” interprets warnings as events that would happen before the destruction of Jerusalem. “The Great Tribulation” makes connections to historical events in antiquity. “The Coming of the Son of Man” explains the use of time references in order to point to events that fulfilled prophecy by the year A.D. 70. The final two chapters (“The Day and the Hour” and “The Faithful and Wicked Servant”) provide the most clarification to the question posed by the book’s title. That is, no one knows specifically when the last days are and obsession with a date and time is of no consequence to us. What is of consequence are for the servants of Christ to act faithfully and to execute The Lord’s will before His return so that we will not be caught by surprise when the Master returns.
Are These the Last Days? is part of the Crucial Questions booklet series. The series offers Biblically sound answers to practical, real-life questions about the everyday Christian experience.
Without a doubt, the series is very informative and a worthwhile resource. Each selection in this volume tends to be less than 100 pages so you can get through a booklet in an afternoon. Furthermore, the fact that all of them are available for free (Kindle versions) is just icing on the cake. This is excellent for anyone who seeks to know more about the Olivet Discourse, and will provide valuable information to Sunday school teachers, Christian educators, and Bible students.
Dr. C. H. E. Sadaphal
April 22, 2016
April 21, 2016
A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE DESTRUCTION OF THE INDIES by BARTOLOME de las CASAS
The bottom line: A troubling and repetitive account of the Spanish invasion of the Americas in the 16th century.
The Destruction of the Indies was written in the 16th century by a church leader, Bartolomé de las Casas. The purpose of his exposition was to bring to light all the atrocities committed by the Spaniards in the Americas, so that such bloodthirstiness would come to an end.
What the reader is left with is a gritty and gruesome first-hand eyewitness account of what Bartolomé de las Casas witnessed: murder, genocide, torture, cannibalism, infanticide, rape, and many other forms of wretchedness.
On the one hand, The Destruction of the Indies serves a very important historical purpose: to describe the heinous acts of terror, wanton violence, and inhumane brutality executed by the Spaniards against the indigenous people of the Americas in the 16th century. It also describes the brave, prophetic voice of religious leaders with the courage to speak out for the rights of the vulnerable and oppressed. Our history is bloody and brutal, and this book describes a crucial part of history that must never be forgotten. If we do not remember, then we are doomed to engage in the same destructive behaviors again.
On the other hand, this book is very repetitive. After reading about the monstrous acts in one area of the Americas, you get the idea: “The Spaniards came, they were merciless, and many innocent natives suffered at the hands of these devils.” In the subsequent accounts of different locales, the individuals and places may change but the main idea remains the same. On top of that, at times this translation is difficult to read because of the choppiness in the language.
I read this book as required by a graduate level seminary course and would not have read it otherwise. The Destruction of the Indies is not for everyone, but certainly this book serves a focused historical purpose.
Dr. C. H. E. Sadaphal
April 15, 2016
THE GIFT OF LIMITATION III: GIFT OF REST, LIMIT OF TIME
The gift of rest equals a limit of time.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 says:
“There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven—A time to give birth and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted. A time to kill and a time to heal; A time to tear down and a time to build up. A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance. A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing. A time to search and a time to give up as lost; A time to keep and a time to throw away. A time to tear apart and a time to sew together; A time to be silent and a time to speak. A time to love and a time to hate; A time for war and a time for peace.”
What these verses tell us is that God has already appointed a time for everything, not only in your personal life but for all external events as well. In modernity, we have a lingering sense of the urgency of time, so we have to get as much done now as we can lest we run out of time.
Solomon writes in the Book of Ecclesiastes that all of our toiling under the sun is hebel or “vanity,” as if we are chasing after a mist or vapor. Why? Because God has already appointed a time for everything.
Hence, in 31:15, the psalmist writes, “My times are in [God’s] hand.” God holds us and time in His hands. Fighting with time will get us nowhere. In order to receive a gift of rest and unburden ourselves from the anxiety of pressured time, we ironically have to spend less time doing other “stuff” and more time with God. It is then that He will reveal what is appointed and what season we are in, giving us rest from pointless, unnecessary toil.
As I had written in a prior lesson of What Christians Should Know, stewardship is the principle that relates to a steward, or someone who has the responsibility of managing and looking after someone else’s things. In contrast to what we may think, time is never ours. Time was created by God (Genesis 1:5), and every second of our lives is borrowed from God. So, if we are stewards of God’s time and manage what is His, how are we spending our time? In an economic sense, God lets us keep 90% of what is His, and we give 10% back to Him (the tithe). From the perspective of time, He allows us to keep 6/7, and we give back to Him 1/7 (one day out of the week, or the Sabbath). The dedication of time is so sacred that The Lord decreed in the Fourth Commandment (Exodus 20:8-11) that a full 24-hour period be set aside to be holy and to not do any work. There are 10 Commandments. The first three deal with our relationships with God, and the final six deal with our relationships with our neighbor. Interestingly, how we spend our time, then, is the fulcrum that sits between our relationships with God and how we deal with others.
The Sabbath is the ultimate expression of rest memorialized in a weekly 24-hour space. And look at how culture taints the holiness of the Sabbath. It says, “You can get stuff done on your day off. Take this time to catch up on errands. Use it to get ready for your work week.” It is very easy in 21st century America to dismiss God altogether on Sundays (or whenever you choose to observe your Sabbath).
From the perspective of culture, genuine Sabbath rest is counterproductive, useless, and an ineffective “use” of time. Yet from God’s perspective, you cannot override His sovereignty, and wrestling with time will get you nowhere. You have to “wrestle” with the One who stands over time, and this entails limiting the amount of time spent doing everything else. Hence, a gift of rest equals a limit of time.
Dr. C. H. E. Sadaphal
