Is it okay to work on Sunday?

I’ve been asking myself this question over and over again for the last 20 hours. I walked by the time clock last night at work and saw a list of 15 or 20 names of people who would be working on Sunday. I freaked out. I never thought I would be faced with the situation of working on Sunday. You see, this week was a stressful week at work. My manager wasn’t too happy because the district manager isn’t happy, and so that makes everyone unhappy. The DM was in yesterday and wasn’t too pleased because we are behind on some layouts or the stockroom wasn’t organized to his satisfaction or something like that, so that’s why the “Sunday List” was published. A quick scan of the list brought a huge relief to me, because, by some miracle, my name wasn’t on there. I don’t know why I don’t have to work Sunday, but I’m one of maybe 3 or 4 people that don’t. I consider myself very blessed. I believe God’s hand was in it, and I’m so grateful He chose to favor me, because otherwise, I would have had to make an appeal, and I don’t think it would have been well received.

So, I’ve been pondering this question, and trying to figure out what I will do when I am asked (or more accurately, told) to work Sunday, because now I’m certain that day is coming. Growing up, I always thought it was a black-and-white thing. The Bible says “keep the Sabbath holy.” So, just don’t work on Sunday. How hard is that? Well... what about firemen, police officers, and military personnel who get called out on emergencies, or have to perform their duties on Sunday in order to keep us safe? What about pipeline workers who have to fix a leak? What about employees who have to work because their manager’s job is on the line? When is it okay? Where do you draw the line? I came home from work last night and began searching the Scripture and asking God what He would want me to do.

Another thing to consider is the fact that Sunday is not the actual Sabbath. We Christians observe Sunday as the Sabbath because that’s the day Christ rose from the grave, but the Jewish Sabbath is Saturday. That’s when God commanded the Israelites to rest. When Jesus came to earth, He fulfilled some of the laws of the Old Testament, such as the sacrifice. The sacrifices offered by the Israelites in the Old Testament were a picture of what Jesus would do for us by dying on the cross and making the eternal payment for our sins. It is paid in full. We don’t have to make sacrifices anymore.

Jesus said He is the “Lord of the Sabbath.” (Matthew 12:8) The Sabbath is a time for us to set aside to seek Him. It is a tithe of our week, giving the first day to Him. Can you do that when you are working? What if I went to church, and then went to work afterwards? Is that safe; is it enough to get by? I believe the problem is many people try to do “just enough” to keep the guilt away. In reality, it’s a heart issue. Do we seek to honor God and give Him glory in every area? Are we holding anything back from Him? Are we afraid of what people would say?

In searching the Scriptures last night for an answer, I came across Isaiah 56. Here is what it says in the Amplified Bible:
“Thus says the Lord: Keep justice, do and use righteousness (conformity to the will of God which brings salvation), for My salvation is soon to come and My righteousness (My rightness and justice) to be revealed. Blessed, happy, and fortunate is the man who does this, and the son of man who lays hold of it and binds himself fast to it, who keeps sacred the Sabbath so as not to profane it, and keeps his hand form doing any evil. Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say, The Lord will surely separate me from His people. And let not the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. For thus says the Lord: To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths and choose the things which please Me and hold firmly My covenant— To them I will give in My house and within My walls a memorial and a name better [and more enduring] than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that will not be cut off. Also the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord to minister to Him and to love the name of the Lord and to be His servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath so as not to profane it and who holds fast My covenant [by conscientious obedience]— All these I will bring to My holy mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on My altar; for My house will be called a house of prayer for all people.”

Did you hear the blessings in those verses? God loves to bless those who “do and use righteousness,” “choose the things which please” Him, and “hold firmly” to His commands!! What amazing things He has promised!!

Here is my conclusion: I want to please my Savior in everything I do. I don’t want to be afraid of what other people think. As a Christian, it is my duty to bear the name of Christ in a way that would bring honor to Him. The majority (probably about 97%!) of my co-workers are not Christians, and don’t hold Christians in high regard. Therefore, if they saw me working on Sunday, it could ruin my witness. If, however, I don’t work on Sunday, it would be a testimony to them of my convictions (although I don’t think it would be well-accepted!). Lastly, Jesus is the most important thing in my life. I need to go to church on Sunday to receive my spiritual food for the week. I need the teaching, fellowship, and encouragement I receive from being around brothers and sisters in Christ. Especially since I often work on Wednesday nights. I can’t afford to give Sundays up.

I’m still not sure what I will say or how I will handle the situation when it arises, but my goal is to please Jesus Christ, so I’m confident He will reveal His will for me in this area.

What are your thoughts on this? I’ve put a poll on the side of my blog so you can vote and let me know what you think. Please also comment and let me know why you believe it is or isn’t right to work on Sunday. I must make this decision for myself (and you have to make the decision for yourself), but I believe God’s will can also be discerned through godly counsel.

I’d like to close with Colossians 2: 16, 17. Yes, I found this in my search last night, also! :)
“Therefore let no one sit in judgment on you in matters of food and drink, or with regard to a feast day or a New Moon or a Sabbath. Such [things] are only the shadow of things that are to come, and they have only a symbolic value. But the reality (the substance, the solid fact of what is foreshadowed, the body of it) belongs to Christ.” Amplified Version