Sundays have historically been the first day of the week in Judeo-Christian tradition. According to Genesis 2:1–3 and Exodus 20:11, God created the earth in six days and designated the seventh day as a Sabbath day for rest. While some Christians still maintain that Saturday is the proper day to keep the Sabbath, the majority of Christians observe Sunday as the day of rest in remembrance of [Christ rising on Sunday]. (See [What is the genuine Sabbath?] article.) The first day of the week is Sunday, but the first day of the working week is Monday.
According to ISO 8601, Monday is now recognized globally as the first day of the week. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) released this international standard, which addresses time and date-related data.
Setting aside time for God
However, classifying Saturday and Sunday as the “weekend” and considering Monday to be the start day of the week indicates a secularized perspective on the week. Prioritizing Sundays in life is a lovely way to live. Before we get back into the grind of work or school, we begin each week by making time for God and spending time in His presence. Similar to how many Christians read their Bibles and pray for the first hour or so of the day, they also give God the first day of the week.
Resting in God
A Christian’s life revolves around resting in God, or at least it should. Jesus extended an invitation to His followers to come rest with Him (Matthew 11:28–29). For His children, God has provided a place to rest (Hebrews 4:3,11). This speaks of the ultimate rest found in Christ, but it is also possible to enjoy it in this life by prioritizing our day of rest, which God has given us, and keeping it a priority. And it is there every day in our relationship with Christ.
