A Hog in a Well

One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. (Romans 14:5-9 ESV). It was mid-afternoon one Sunday in Tyler, Texas. Two of my friends (who will be unnamed at this point) called with an urgent request. They had been to a farm where we hunted feral hogs. They had shot one and it had run off and fallen into a ground level abandoned well. They need my help to get the hog out of the well and butcher it. Well, I am never one to refuse a request from my friends, especially if it involves hunting or fishing! I quickly grabbed my gun (just in case) and knives and started out the door when Mary simply said, “Where are you going?” I really thought I could get out of the house quicker than that, but I was caught. I explained the situation and her response was classic of conservative Baptist thought of the time. Sunday’s were to be reserved for “rest.” Certainly this didn’t fall into that category. After all, it would be fun; and, everybody knows that fun and “Sabbath rest” don’t go together (insert heavy sarcasm here). Being a pretty good talker, I convinced her this was more of a case of a friend’s ox being in the ditch and needing to go and help. It couldn’t possibly be fun. Stop laughing. You know you have heard these kinds of conversations before. They really happened during the era when many people’s Sunday observance was filled with an unwritten list of do’s and don’ts. Approaching the Christian life legalistically has always been an issue in the church. In Paul’s day some churches argued whether a Christian could eat food (especially meat) that had been sacrificed to idols. In other areas, certain believers had rules about which behavior was appropriate on special days. Paul’s basic principle is to follow your conscience – provided that your conscience is shaped by a desire to love, honor, and serve the Lord. After all, “we are the Lord’s” and every day should be seen as an opportunity to serve him faithfully. Within that framework, there are a host of different options available to us in living practical Christianity. Regardless of how you spend you days, find a balance in which you may honor the Lord. Serve others and yourself by renewing yourself physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Set aside time for all those things that “esteem” everyday as a day from the Lord to bless us and others.