A Chef on His Sunday

I had the opportunity to meet a foreign chef who works at one of Singapore’s five-star hotels. God has blessed him with a wonderful wife and five children, all before the age of 32. Through years of hard work in different countries, he has risen to the position of Senior Chef in his current role. I got to know him better after we worked together on two projects outside of our regular scope. Recently, he reached out to me on WhatsApp and shared the following: “I’m asking for wisdom, and I’ve also spoken with W. about this. If you were in my position—God has entrusted me with a position of authority. In our line of work in hospitality, having weekends off, especially Sundays, is very uncommon. Because of my role, I have the option of taking every Sunday off so that I can worship God, and that is my priority. At the same time, I’m struggling with the thought that taking every Sunday off might mean I’m using my authority for my own benefit instead of using it to serve others. Part of me wonders if there’s a selfish side to it.” His message reminded me of a similar struggle I faced when I first started working in a highly competitive industry. I was working seven days a week, and there were times when I had to choose between going to church on Sunday or going to work. I made the decision to honor God. I chose to attend church on Sunday, have lunch with my family afterward, and then return to work to support my colleagues. I reminded him of what God says in Exodus 20:8 and Deuteronomy 5:12. After creating the world in six days, God rested on the seventh day and made it holy. One of the Ten Commandments also instructs God’s people to keep the Sabbath day holy. My advice to him was that, since he has been given the opportunity to take Sundays off, he should continue to honor God by attending church and setting that day apart for worship. He should not feel guilty for doing so, because he is putting God first. Honoring God by worshiping Him on Sunday is an act of obedience, not selfishness. He can continue to serve and support his colleagues faithfully on the other days of the week while making every effort to keep the Sabbath holy. I believe that when we honor God and obey Him and His Word first, He will honor us and bless us in ways beyond our imagination. Ultimately, He desires our hearts and our time with Him. I was encouraged to know that this chef is intentionally setting aside Sunday for the Lord and seeking to honor Him above all else. Footnote: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” — Exodus 20:8 “Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you.” — Deuteronomy 5:12