A lot of people have the conception that Christians are a bunch of stick-in-the-muds who are bound by limitless numbers of laws and rules and dos and don'ts. It is a real tragedy that people think that way. It is all a ploy by the devil to get people to turn away from God. But when I really look at it, ALL God's laws serve a purpose - and that purpose is ALWAYS our own good. It's so obvious all around us. Not doing God's will doesn't make anyone happy or free - it just leads to death and destruction - literally.
The most obvious example I can come up with is relationships - the romantic ones. So much heartache and suffering could be avoided if we just listened to what God has to say about this subject, and do what he says. God ALWAYS knows what's best. After all, He is our Creator, how could he not?
But back to relationships. The Bible says, "Thou shalt not commit adultery" Exodous 20:14. This Commandment includes fornication. If you don't believe that, then here's another text for you: "Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body" 1 Corinthians 6:18. The Bible is so clear on this. God is not trying to curb our sexual appetites by commanding this; and He is not trying to curb our fun. He made us to have sexual urges and desires. But they were meant to be expressed in the right context - a loving marriage. Instead, we choose to ignore this and what's the result? - Unwanted children, single parenthood, teenage pregnancies, emotional scars and debilitation, STDs, and who knows what else. Now I know unwanted children and single parenthood can happen in marriage or when a spouse dies, but don't get technical with me. My point is, that many of the problems associated with romantic relationships would be nonexistent if we obeyed God's law about fornication and adultery.
There are other examples. What we eat and our lifestyles are two others. If we were to go back to God's original vegetarian diet, with no animals or their by-products, we would be so much healthier. It has been proven by science that eating foods loaded with animal fat leads to health problems like high cholesterol and heart disease. Eating foods high in sugar like sodas and donuts can lead to diabetes. The food God prescribes would cause no debilitating diseases.
My point is, God's laws are there for our protection, and our own good. So why not follow them? It's so hard not to eat that piece of fried chicken when I smell it. But thinking of the damage it can do to my insides - damage that God has foreseen - makes me step away from it. I am trying to be a vegan and it's not easy. I have not eaten any meats for months now, but I'm finding it more difficult to stay away from cheese and yogurt. But I know that these foods are not good for me. My body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, and I should treat it as such. By God's grace, and through the strength he gives me, I will overcome. We just have to take it day by day and remember to depend on God for strength.
"Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth" 3 John 2.
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