Has anyone had this experience?

[Guest powerja]

I guess that I am a relatively new member but I am realising that keeping the commandments often puts me in the position of being dependent on God. For example, most of my colleagues work 7 days a week and I can not. Only working 6 days puts me in a precarious situation so I have to pray harder, walk straighter. I found being dependent on God on a daily basis rather unsettling. Is this situation common in the church?

[Dravin]

I found being dependent on God on a daily basis rather unsettling.

Actually according to the scriptures we're not dependent on on a daily basis but on a moment by moment breath to breath basis:

21 I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another—I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants.

So really, not only is it a common experience in the Church, it is the human condition. It's just a lot of us either aren't aware of it or tend to forget.

[Seminarysnoozer]

I guess that I am a relatively new member but I am realising that keeping the commandments often puts me in the position of being dependent on God. For example, most of my colleagues work 7 days a week and I can not. Only working 6 days puts me in a precarious situation so I have to pray harder, walk straighter. I found being dependent on God on a daily basis rather unsettling. Is this situation common in the church?

Why is it unsettling to carry a lighter burden? Christ said come unto me, take on my yoke, it is easy and His burden is light.

It is harder to carry the burdens of the world. It is harder to live by the wild whims of man and to live up to their ever changing standards. There are only two yokes to take, either God's or the world's. We will either end up on the right hand of God or the left but we can't be on both sides at the same time. I think, possibly, your struggle is figuring out how to keep a foot in both camps. That, really is hard and unsettling.

Matthew 11: 28-30; "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

[Guest powerja]

What I find difficult is trying to earn a living in an industry that is 24/7 when my religion requires me to stop working on Sundays. What do Real Estate agents and Entertainers do?

[applepansy]

Powerja, Nurses and doctors are often required to work on Sunday. There are times when its unavoidable. We do our best.

When my mother was in nursing school (she's 78 this year) she asked her father what to do about working on Sundays. He told her she could work and realize that she's helping someone, or if it really bothered her she could donate the wages she made on Sunday to the church's welfare program. I don't remember what mom decided to do.

My husband was required to work Sundays while our children were young. He regrets it and wishes he had found other employment. Now that he doesn't have to work Sundays he's a stickler about keeping the Sabbath holy. For him its pretty black and white. We don't even go out to dinner with extended family on Sunday because he feels he is making someone work.

You have to decide what is best for you. Make it a matter of fasting and prayer. If it is still bothering you then counsel with your Bishop.

Addition: There are many LDS stories about people who made the difficult decision to not work on Sunday, or play basketball (or whatever) on Sunday and received amazing blessings. The BYU football team is an example.

Edited April 3, 2011 by applepansy

[Gwen]

they are supposed to have faith?

chick-fil-a closes on sunday (one of the biggest eating out days here) and they seem to stay in business just fine.

however, i do think i get what you are saying about being unsettled by being dependent upon god on a daily basis. it's not about not wanting to depend on him so much as the constant concern of how things will work out.

it's like saying if i have my whole pay check i know i can buy food for the entire month. i pay tithing and i don't know that, might fall short on that last week. so you spend the entire month worried about what that last week holds. so it gets hard seeing others with the security of knowing they will eat all month long when you "do what's right" and have to worry and not know for sure.

am i close?

as for what to do about it...... i don't have that answer.

[pam]

What I find difficult is trying to earn a living in an industry that is 24/7 when my religion requires me to stop working on Sundays. What do Real Estate agents and Entertainers do?

For one thing our religion does NOT require us to stop working on Sundays. They counsel us to try and avoid it but sometimes that just can't be done. We need to feed our families and provide a place for them to live. If having to work on Sundays to do this, then we must. But if we are working on Sundays to have money to buy that car we really could do without, or that boat or other toys..then yes we will have to answer to the Lord for that.

[MormonMama]

We have a great guy in our ward who is a police officer. Sometimes he has had to leave in the middle of Sacrament Meeting because he gets called into work.

I have had to make myself available to work on Sundays at times just to get a job. I spent over a year looking for work last year and only finally landed a job when I opened up Sundays for work.

If you have to work Sundays to make ends meet, then you should not feel guilty about working on that day. If you just want to rake in the dough so you can buy that big flat-screen TV, you might want to reassess your priorities in life.

[prophetofdoom]

If you can still make a living working Monday-Saturday, I would keep it that way. Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy will bring blessings because of your obedience. You will find that almost all of God's Commandments will put you at odds with "The World."

Few people follow the Law of Chastity, Word of Wisdom, etc. This will set you apart from people and give you opportunities to share your faith in Christ. Keeping the Commandments has brought so much peace and happiness in my life.

[jlf9999]

Just relax. Life, whether at work, church or home isn't a competition to see who can get there first. It is about doing the things so that we can have joy - joy such as we find in service to others whether it is a customer, friend, fellow member or our family. I can personally attest to that from first hand experience having suffered the destruction that results in 14 hour days 7 days a week year after year. Money is just the tool that allows us to do these other things. It is not a replacement for them. Make no mistake about it my friend. Work matters just to a point. After that you become a slave and your family pays the price - maybe an eternal price. Prioritize. Work is somewhere down the list but it is not at the top.

Edited April 4, 2011 by jlf9999

[jayanna]

IMO Sunday worship isn't just so God can have a day where people worship Him. Sunday is for us to rest, fill our cup once again, and take a day to prepare and focus on why we work so hard the rest of the week. It is not just for Him, it is for us.

One day out of seven we need to do this, for us and for our relationship with our Heavenly Father. If you have to work on Sunday, make another day of the week your Sabbath. Any relationship you have is going to require time from your schedule to maintain. Man cannot live on bread alone.

Edited April 6, 2011 by jayanna

[swampgeek]

I understand what everyone is addressing and what is being asked...for the most part I think. The comments that seem to keep digging into my mind is being uncomfortable being so dependent or reliant on God. I also think this has been answered quite well. I still think it would be quite important for you to turn to God through prayer and talk about this. We are a pretty headstrong stubborn entity sometimes. My dad used to say, rest his soul, " Any day on this side of the dirt, is a good day." Ain't that the truth. But by the grace of God go we all...remember that.

I have had to work my share of Sundays and I often find myself traveling on Sunday for work. I really do not like this and am working to insure that this will not be the case in the near future. Until that time, I make sure to commit all the time I can to prayer, scripture study, and any service I can extend to my fellow travelers during that time. It's not perfect, but I am quit certain that it helps me and continues my relationship with God. In doing anything we should take the time to turn our minds and hearts to God, as it is through him that all things are possible, so to acknowledge that alone is a starting point.