24/7 Choices

I'm looking at Amos 8 this week. Amos sure was a frustrated prophet. I would be too, if the people you were trying to warn didn't listen to you. People like Amos and Jeremiah always mixed their faith with frustration.

Amos 8 reveals a frustration with people who aren't as much interested in praying, celebrating the Lord, or worshiping God, as they are in getting that stuff over with ASP so they can get back to work on what really matters: making money, doing business, ripping people off. He writes, "Hear this, you that trample on the needy, and bring ruin to the poor of the land, saying, 'When will the new moon be over so that we may sell grain; and the sabbath, so that we may offer wheat for sale?...' The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob: Surely I will never forget any of their deeds." (Amos 8:4-5a, 7)

We live in a 24/7 world. There are no laws that require business to stop on Sunday. In fact many businesses are even open on Christmas and Easter in 21st century America. Christians today don't need to long for the sabbath to be over so their kids can play soccer, or for Easter can pass so they can sell their cheap Chinese goods at the Dollar Store. It's a free country. They can go ahead and play soccer and sell trinkets any time they want.

Some say the government should make laws that require business to stop on holy days. I'm not one of them however. There were plenty of laws in Amos' day, which is the reason the scoundrels moaned and longed for Sabbaths to end and festivals to pass. Their hearts were not with God and no law could put their hearts with God. "Surely [God] will never forget any of their deeds."

In a 24/7 culture we are presented with a challenge as Christians. Do we place our faith in God as priority number one in our lives or do we give in to the pressures of our society that tell you to enroll your kids in activities that take them away from worship on Sunday? Do you worship God with all your heart or do you look ahead to the lunch a child of God will serve you on Sunday and the stuff another child of God will sell you?

Freedom is a tremendous blessing. You can go where you want. You can shop any time you want. You can conduct business any time you want. But at the end of the day, ask yourself in prayer: "have I made my faith in Christ my first priority today?"