The Ten Commandments for Business: Commandment Four

In this series, we’re pondering the Ten Commandments and how they can relate to our business life.

In David Green’s book, “More Than a Hobby” David shares how he wrestled with his managers working seven days a week. David desired them to worship God and have a day of rest. That’s when he took a $100 million risk. He decided to close Hobby Lobby on Sundays.

God’s fourth commandment in Exodus 20 says, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” God later says, “On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant.”

As employers, God wants us to care for our employees. God designed us to have one day a week off for rest. Some will choose Sunday, the Lord's Day, while others celebrate the Sabbath on Saturday.

As employers, we should look for ways to assure our staff receives the rest and time to worship they need to be spiritually fulfilled. Consider ways to give your team members the opportunity to rest and worship the Lord at least one day a week.

Questions for Reflection

• Does your business observe the Sabbath? Has your business observed the Sabbath? If a full business close for the day is not possible, could you reduce your hours on Sunday? Is it possible to reduce or reorganize workloads to enable your employees to attend a Sunday morning or evening service?
• If you work for a secular employer and can’t get the Sabbath off, consider other church programs. Does your church offer small groups or Wednesday night services? Or do they record sermons? Are there any outreach programs you could join?