Enjoy Life Fully
Our society is constantly trying to produce the answer for man’s need to enjoy life fully. Television, radio, billboards, newspapers, and the internet are constantly telling us that a happier, more fulfilling life is found in living for ourselves, for pleasure, and for things that we can possess. These things give neither fulfillment nor true lasting joy.
In Deuteronomy 10:11-13, God told Moses to lead the children of Israel in the direction of the promised land. God said that the requirements for enjoying living in the promised land were for the good of the people. In other words, they could enjoy life fully in the promised land if they were to do what He was telling them to do. These requirements for enjoying life fully are the same for us today. The requirements are:
• Fear the Lord (v. 12). The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. A person cannot even begin to be wise until he bases all his decisions and lifestyle on fearing God. Fearing God means that a person does not do evil because he is fearful of what God can do to him in punishment. God is a holy God Who demands justice. The Christian’s fear of God is mixed with awe, adoration, and love. We do not want to displease God because we love Him so much.
• Walk in all the Lord’s ways (v.12). The word “walk” has the idea of lifestyle. A person’s lifestyle reveals who he is. A good tree will produce good fruit, and a bad tree will produce bad fruit. An apple tree will produce apples, not oranges. In order to enjoy life to its fullest, your lifestyle should mimic and reflect the Lord. You live godly because a Christian, as a good tree, will produce a righteous and good lifestyle with Jesus Christ at the center of life.
• Love the Lord (v. 12). Loving the Lord is displayed in attitude and in action. We have an attitude of caring and appreciating the Lord and His blessings in our lives. We love Him because He first loved us and gave His life for us. He forgave us of all our sins and has given us our salvation from sin, Satan, and the world. We love Him much because He has forgiven us of much. Love is also action. We prove how much we love the Lord by how we live. If we live righteously, we are showing God that we love Him. If we give our all to Him, we show Him love.
• Serve the Lord with all your heart and soul (v. 12). Service involves giving our lives to the Lord so that He can use us to accomplish His purposes. We serve the Lord when we present our lives as a living sacrifice to Him. We take advantage of opportunities to do something for the Lord. Serving God and others gives us lasting joy that floods our hearts and gives us the fullest and most rewarding life possible.
• Keep the commandments of the Lord (v. 13). The word “keep” means to obey the commandments of the Lord. The very word “commandment” refers to the right of God to demand that we live for Him and do what He says. We are to follow the commands and principles of Scripture so that God will be pleased with us. Apart from obedience, there can be no fullness of life or of joy.
• Know that God made life for our good (v. 13). The Christian understands that everything that God does for him is for his best. God planned salvation for our best, along with His commands, warnings, prohibitions, promises, and encouragements. The whole Christian life is built around Jesus Christ and the abundance of life that He produces.
May we live the fullest life possible this week as we strive to please the Lord in all the things that we do.
