The good life

Today: Deuteronomy 5-7

When you picture "the good life," what you see?

At the beginning of each new year, many people start dreaming about what that good life means to them. They believe life will be good when they finally lose weight, find a new job, meet Mr. or Ms. Right, raise amazing kids, and/or win the lottery.

I wonder how many people aiming for the good life start by saying, "I'd like to be more obedient"?

Most people don't aspire to be more obedient, but according to today's passage, obedience can sometimes be a precursor to a good life. Take a look at Moses' message to the Israelites:

Listen obediently, Israel.

Do what you're told so that you'll have a good life,

a life of abundance and bounty, just as God promised,

in a land abounding in milk and honey.
Attention, Israel!

God, our God! God the one and only!
Love God, your God, with your whole heart:

love him with all that's in you, love him with all you've got!
Write these commandments that I've given you today on your hearts.

Get them inside of you and then get them inside your children.

Talk about them wherever you are,

sitting at home or walking in the street;

talk about them from the time you get up in the morning

to when you fall into bed at night.

Tie them on your hands and foreheads as a reminder;

inscribe them on the doorposts of your homes and on your city gates.

Love, love, love this passage!

I should be clear and say that I don't think "the good life" discussed here always includes Scrooge McDuck-style piles of money (I'm showing my generation. If you've never heard of Ducktales or Scrooge McDuck, I don't know if we can be friends...just kidding of course!), love, beauty, health, etc. A life of obedience to God could lead to some of those things, but more importantly, I think it leads to a healthier heart. A life of obedience leads to things like peace, joy, compassion, integrity, character, honesty--the qualities really worth aspiring toward.

Best of all, a life of obedience to God strengthens your relationship with Him. It's an approach not based on "What can I get from God?", but rather "The God who loves me so much deserves my everything--I want to give Him all I've got. I'll start by trusting Him enough to obey His instruction."

When we dream of the good life, let's consider what it really means--and how obedience to God can help us live it.

Tomorrow: Deuteronomy 8-10