“When the neighboring peoples bring merchandise or grain to sell on the Sabbath, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on any holy day. Every seventh year we will forgo working the land and will cancel all debts.”(Nehemiah 10:31, NIV)
There are some things that other people accept that are wrong for the disciple of Jesus. In such instances, the Christian disciple must accept the inconveniences of decisions to do or to be otherwise, based on his or her convictions.
The wisdom of Sabbath-keeping is clearly evident in a 24/7 world, even though we are no longer required to do so. For millennia, farmers of all creeds have seen the value of allowing a field to “lay fallow”; and were we to unshackle ourselves from the love of money, our faith and trust in God would grow stronger and our lives would flourish.
These are not easy things to do, but such commitments are necessary if we are to maintain our distinctiveness in a world that does not share our perspective or our values. When we find ourselves needing to act contrary to culture, we do not call attention to the deed or — worse — call attention to ourselves. If we are out of step with the prevailing culture, let it only be because of our obedience to a different cadence. – Luther
