Atul Gawande, in his book The Checklist Manifesto, shows how doctors can use a checklist to save lives during surgery. Gawande’s checklist includes three vital “pause points”: before anesthesia, before incision, and before leaving the operating room.
Each pause point lasts no more than a minute—just long enough for the team to make basic checks. The results? In 2008, eight hospitals began using Gawande’s checklist, and within months, the rate of major complications fell by 35 percent and deaths by 47 percent. What an amazing difference brought about by surgical teams taking time to pause during their procedures!
After God delivered His people from Egyptian bondage, he gave them a pause point: the Sabbath. “The seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work” (Exodus 20:10). God instructed His people to remember and observe this day and treat it as holy or set apart from any other regular workday (Exodus 20:8). When they observed the Sabbath, they were actually pausing to remember several things: God’s work/rest rhythm in creation (Genesis 2:2), their deliverance from bondage (Deuteronomy 5:12-15), their relationship with God, and His desire to give them refreshment and life (Exodus 31:17).
As our loving God has revealed, it’s vital that we intentionally, regularly include pause points in our lives. On Sunday or some other day, we should pause to remember God’s work/rest rhythm in creation (Exodus 20:11), to thank Jesus for delivering us from the bondage of sin, to find rest and refreshment in Him, and to anticipate the ultimate pause point when we’ll be in His presence!
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Judges 15:1-20
More:
Read Isaiah 40:29-31 and Philippians 4:6-7, then consider the purposes of spiritual “pause points.”
Next:
What kind of “pause point” rhythms do you presently have? If pause points can save patients’ lives, how can spiritual pause points make for healthier lives in Jesus?
Gary Shultz on March 12, 2016 at 6:27 am
Believe it or not Marvin, these articles serve for great daily pause points. I like to come here as often as possible because it makes you stop and consider different points of life. There is no question that the 7th day principle is a good weekly rhythm. Every day I think we need to find spots of time to pause and reflect. I find no better place than in God’s presence. Thanks Marvin
sandy229 on March 12, 2016 at 9:04 am
This tells me that I need to think before I do something so I won’t do anything I will regret or do anything to make God look bad in the eyes of those who see Him in me. I want everyone to see God in me, especially my husband, so I pray that I may think before doing or saying anything harsh or unkind to anyone. Also I pray that I will be able to rest from doing any kind of work on the Sabbath, that has been really hard for me to rest, but when I rest in God’s word, I know I can do it. If my neighbors see me working on Sunday knowing I am a Christian, I am being a bad example to them.
sdwise on March 12, 2016 at 9:06 am
Thank you Marvin for this morning’s ODJ article. What a wonder way to begin the day and pause for a spiritual cause! I agree with Gary that we should pause throughout the day to consider God’s direction. If we pause before acting, insead of following what we feel is best, our resulting behavior would probably yield a more fruitful witness for Christ. God help us to understand that you truely know best how we should live our lives with others by being your visible expression of Jesus’ behavior to the world. It is my prayer that as we go thoughout the day we demonstrate to those we meet the fruit of the spirit toward them, so that some will be drawn to Jesus. Amen.
gshafer11 on March 12, 2016 at 12:47 pm
I usually find that I get more accomplished and do a better job on those things that need to get done by resting on Sunday. It is strange that sometimes less is more… Six days of work often equals more than seven days of work… Praise God!