When all else fails

Many people feel the Bible is old-fashioned and out of date. Has there ever been a better guide for life? The Ten Commandments were more than rules. They were guidelines to building real character. Take a look at them from a Christian perspective.
(Adapted from Sinai Summit by Rick Atchley, published by Sweet Publishing, Fort Worth, TX.)

1. Have God in the Right Place

The first commandment says "You shall have no other gods before Me." Every person, even an atheist, has a god that takes first place in their life. It is their object of trust and focus, their ultimate source of strength. It could be money, self, intellect, pleasure, success or a number of other things. The question is what are you giving your life to? Is it really worth it? Many people come to the end of their lives with the question "Is that all there is? Isn't there more to life?" The Bible describes God as the ultimate, all-powerful, all-knowing being who designed and created the universe. He created us for a purpose - to have an eternal relationship with Him. The result of this is a life that is happy and rich in meaning. The first commandment means that for our lives to work, God must come first - ahead of everything else.

2. Worship the Real Image of God

The second command tell us not to make and or worship images. When human beings make images of their gods, they make them in the image of themselves! The Greeks and Romans, for example, believed in gods that had the same weaknesses, vices and attitudes as humans, with some super powers. An imperfect, self-centred being would not be worth serving! Many people today have difficulty believing in God because they only see Him in human terms, often an old man with a white beard and hair. How we understand God will determine the role He has in our life. We need to understand Him as the One who has all power, knowledge, sovereignty and majesty. We need to quit playing the religious "God game" and grasp the sense of who and what He really is.

3. Respect God's Holiness

The third command is not to take God's name in vain, not to use it in a careless, casual or even profane way. The attitude we have toward God will be seen in the respect and honor we give to Him. When people use God's name as a careless curse or thoughtless cliche they demonstrate that God is really unimportant. In the ancient world, a person's name represented who and what they were. Respect for the name meant respect for the person. The real God, revealed in the Bible, transcends everything in our lives. His purity and holiness call us to reverence and respect. Thus, we use His name to honour and worship Him.

4. Put God at the Centre of Your Life

The fourth command was to keep the seventh day of the week or Sabbath as a holy day of rest for the Jews. The idea behind the Sabbath was that every week God's people were reminded of their relationship with Him. It put God at the centre of the life of the community, the family and the individual. The Jews assembled for prayer, study and devotion. In the New Testament, Christian's assembled each week on the first day of the week, the "Lord's day," to remember Jesus Christ's death through the Lord's Supper, to pray, to sing, to teach and encourage one another. They understood that all of their lives were to be holy, that is, that they belonged to God. Their weekly assembly helped keep them centred.

5. Make Your Home a Sanctuary

The fifth command said, "Honor your father and mother." The family has always been the key unit in God's plan. Parents are to teach and train their children, especially about God and His word. The home is where faith is built and character is taught and demonstrated. Children are to honor and respect their parents. At the same time, parents need to be honorable, setting an example for their children to follow.

6. Respect Life

Many people do not understand the sixth commandment. In this command, God prohibited murder. This command did not include killing involved in war, self-defense, capital punishment or accidental manslaughter. Strong emotions like anger, jealousy and hatred could lead to violent, premeditated murder. Since life is God's creation and very special gift to us, God decreed that murderers were to be put to death. Jesus carried this further when he told his disciples to eliminate the strong, violent emotions and not to hate others. "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you." By loving and caring for other people, including our enemies, we show our love for God.

7. Practice Holiness and Purity

The seventh command is not to commit adultery. Morality and personal purity are very important to God. Sexual activity outside of marriage is sinful. God created sex as an expression of the commitment and intimacy of marriage. He intended for marriage to be a lifetime covenant. The greatest gift a husband and wife can give each other before marriage is personal purity and after marriage is a lifetime of faithfulness and love. Jesus warned his disciples that looking at someone lustfully was to commit adultery in one's heart.

8. Love People and Use Things

The eighth commandment prohibited stealing. Too often people become obsessed with getting things. They want to own as much as they can - to be rich. Jesus warned us that life is not about what we own. It's about loving people. While the Bible recognizes the right of people to own things, it encourages us not to be selfish and to share what we have to help others. If we love and respect other people, we will also respect what they own.

9. Love Truth and Peace

The ninth commandment is to not bear false witness. A false witness is someone who tells lies about someone else. God hates people who lie (Proverbs 6:16-19). People lie in many ways. They may tell a deliberate falsehood. They may commit perjury (bear false witness) in court. They may gossip, slander or libel someone. Sometimes people lie by telling half-truths or misrepresenting the truth, or even by being silent and allowing other people to believe something that is not true. A person might make an insinuating remark about someone else that implies something untrue. And, of course, a person can make a false promise that either they do not intend to keep or will not keep later. This might be a promise to pay a debt or even a marriage vow. God wants people to stop lying and tell the truth (Ephesians 4:25). God calls on us to "love truth and peace." (Zechariah 8:16-19)

10. Be Content

The last commandment speaks to the heart. Coveting is the desire to have what someone else has and that we have no right to. Many people feel that they will be happy when they have more money, or own a house, or get something. Unfortunately, the more we have, the more unhappy we become. As long as our happiness is linked to things, we will never find it. The New Testament teaches that we need to learn to be thankful and content with what we have. Too often we lose sight of the blessings we have because we are unhappy and complaining about what we do not have. Everyone has something to enjoy and to be thankful for right now.

Following the principles of the Ten Commandments can bring greater happiness and meaning than many people ever realized. God knows what we need and what will truly make us happy. There has never been a better set of basic guidelines for life. These principles tell us to get into the right relationship with God, with other people, with ourselves and with the things in our lives.

Doesn't it make sense that if the Bible can give us such wonderful guidelines, that there must be more in it that will really help us find God and lead better lives? If you would like to look further into the Bible and what it says for your life, we have resources available to help. We would be happy to share these with you, with no cost or obligation.