Ten Commandments - part 2

These commandments pertain to the ways people deal with each other...

"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the Lord your God gives you. You shall not kill. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his ass, or anything that is your neighbor's." (Ex 20:12-17)rsv

I am aware that some religions divide up the last one, then combine two of the earlier into one, but there are still ten, no matter how you read it.

Respect your parents, and by inference, all your relatives.

Do not kill or hurt one anyone.

Never engage in any sex with anyone not your spouse.

Never take what is not yours.

Never lie about another human being.

Never wish for stuff that isn't yours.

Some of this is so obvious that it makes you wonder just how dense we humans can be. All your older relatives deserve your respect, even when they've done something wrong. Are you perfect? Me neither... and your family is responsible for your being here. Show them some respect.

Don't kill people. God gave each of them the same right to be here as you. I know there are times when it is unavoidable; war, self-defense, etc, but if you kill someone, that individual no longer has the ability to be forgiven for his/her wrongdoings. This is a tough one for some people, I know. If somebody tried to hurt my wife or granddaughter, I'd fight back with everything I have. Yet I know that anguish would eat me up, forever.

Sex is sex, despite what an ex-president tried to claim. Sex with anyone, even imaginary sex, is wrong unless the other person is your spouse. God intended us to be modern-day Adam and Eve couples. One man, one woman, acting as one completed person. Anything else is forbidden. Its that simple.

If something isn't yours, don't take it. Wishing for it, thinking you deserve it, figuring out ways around laws... none of these make you the owner of something that belongs to someone else. Get used to it.

Don't ever tell a lie about anybody! This is not to say you cannot tell bedtime stories or fairy tales. Just don't say anything about someone that isn't true. You shouldn't hurt their reputation, you wouldn't want them to mess-up yours.

Don't wish for things you don't have. You can get out and work to better yourself and your family, but don't base your life on outdoing your neighbor. You don't need his house, car, dog, lifestyle, bills or anything else. Wishing for your neighbor's spouse is really stupid, beside breaking two commandments, would you really want to make a life-choice based on anyone's infidelity?

God gives us these rules for a reason. He knows we are easily misled. He knows we will pay way too much attention to Satan's words at some point in our lives. Having these rules "set in stone" gives us a bit more "backbone" when that time comes.

Thank God He loves us enough to spell these things out!

OK, so you "blow it" once in a while. Do you give up? No way! God still loves you! Hit your knees, tell Him you're sorry, and strive to never mess up again. You won't be completely successful (who is?), but you have to start over.

Thank God for second chances, too.

See you soon, in Paradise.