Today I broke the Sabbath in order to keep it. Normally I try to avoid spending money on God’s holy day. But at the start of my worship, I remembered that I owed someone $25. Even worse, I’d owed it for three months. The Spirit convicted me that Sabbath or no Sabbath, I needed to make it right.
Jesus’ words echoed in my brain, “So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.” (Matthew 5:23-24).
I had this revelation at 9:00 p.m., too late to remedy the problem immediately. I was antsy all morning until I could made it right. Once “the check was in the mail,” a process involving a trip to the store, I instantly relaxed. Finally I could come to the sanctuary and offer a worthy gift.
It made for a short, but uniquely fulfilling Sabbath.