How the Fourth Commandment will make you a successful investor

[Joey English]

How the Fourth Commandment will make you a successful investor

It never fails: each time we start a new property a contractor will ask me why they can’t work for us on Saturdays.

You see, our job sites shut down on Saturdays. That’s because I observe Sabbath from sundown on Friday night to sundown on Saturday night – and no it’s not because I’m Jewish.

Believe it or not, I solidified my conclusion about when to observe Sabbath based off of what day of the week folks celebrate Easter.

As best I know, everyone who celebrates the resurrection of our Messiah agrees that it took place on a Sunday. So knowing that He rose Sunday morning, when I read the following passage, it told me what day of the week Sabbath is.

“Now after the Sabbath, toward dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.” -Matthew 28:1

This verse puts Sabbath a day before the resurrection, and that’s how I determined Sabbath is on
Saturday.

Something has happened in our society today, however, that has led many people away from celebrating Sabbath on Saturday. We as a people have also forgotten the instructions Yahweh laid out for us in the Fourth Commandment.

So let’s read it:

“Remember the Sabbath day, to set it apart. Six days you labor, and shall do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of Yahweh your Elohim. You do not do any work- you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days Yahweh made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore Yahweh blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart.” -Exodus 20:8-11

There are three points to consider here, two of which I believe to be keys to success for everyone, but especially real estate investors.

Point one: the Sabbath occurs on the seventh day. Check, we got that.

Just prior to that statement, the Bible says, “Six days you labor, and shall do all your work”

Point two: have you ever considered we’re commanded to work six days?

For some reason our society changed the arrangement from working six days and resting on the seventh to working five days and watching sports the other two. Don’t get me wrong – I like sports, but watching TV or attending games all weekend won’t make you a successful real estate investor. And unless you incorporate a bookie effectively, there’s a high likelihood it’ll do nothing for your financial freedom.

If you’re working five days a week at your job, that’s great. Count yourself blessed. But what are you doing on that sixth day?

There’s an opportunity to be had here. Real estate investors do the opposite of the masses. So that means while everyone else is popping a top and sitting down to watch football on the sixth day, you need to be working your area and knocking on doors because everyone’s at home- including sellers.

That makes the commanded sixth work day the best day to work your neighborhoods, meet with sellers and be looking for deals.

What you do on that sixth day will greatly influence your success.

Point three: take a day off every week. The commandment says six days work is done, not 30 straight days. You need this time to be with Yahweh, to let go, re-center and let your subconscious do its thing. This off time is where creativity is born.

Our bodies were designed to adhere to this command. When you work six days and take the seventh off, your physical, spiritual, emotional, mental and even your financial health will greatly improve – and so will your success rate.