Top 10 Ways to Live a Holy Life

Supposedly it is part of human nature that when one is told NOT to do something, the desire to do the forbidden thing is heightened. While it might be more expedient to state what behavior is not wanted, the relationship then seems to then be framed in punitive terms rather than permissive.  That might be why so many people find the “10 Commandments” a bit authoritarian, even over-bearing.  

I find that the re-framing of the 10 Commandments offered in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer (p. 847-848) is more conducive to the expansive and intimate relationship God desires to have with us and we yearn to have with God.  The intention of the Commandments is the same, however they focus on what we should be doing that then on what we shouldn’t:
  1. To love and obey God and to bring others to know God
  2. To put nothing in the place of God;
  3.  To show God respect in thought, word, and deed;
  4.  And to set aside regular times for worship, prayer, and the study of God’s ways.
  5.  To love, honor, and help our parents and family; to honor those in authority, and to meet their just demands;
  6. To show respect for the life God has given us; to work and pray for peace; to bear no malice, prejudice, or hatred in our hearts; and to be kind to all the creatures of God;
  7. To use all our bodily desires as God intended;
  8. To be honest and fair in our dealings; to seek justice, freedom, and the necessities of life for all people; and to use our talents and possessions as ones who must answer for them to God;
  9. To speak the truth, and not to mislead others by our silence;
  10. To resist temptations to envy, greed, and jealousy; to rejoice in other people’s gifts and graces; and to do our duty for the love of God, who has called us into fellowship with Godself.
The purpose of the Commandments is to offer God’s people – God’s children – a framework of how to be in right relationship. We note that the first four Commandments are how we are to be in relationship with God and the other six are how we are to be in relationship with each other.  If we love God, we must love our neighbor; if we love our neighbor, we are showing God love as well.
Just like all rules, unless they are followed, they don’t do anyone much good.  These rules enable us to develop our relationship with God by not having sin in the way. “Sin” is anything that comes between ourselves and God.  When the Commandments are followed, nothing gets in between us and God, so we feel more connected and better able to recognize God’s presence in our life. 

Rather than getting caught up in the “naughty” or “taboo,” the BCP list of Commandments invites us into a deeper understanding of how to live a faithful life.  For example, for many people, Sunday morning many not be able to be set aside for worship.  That does not abdicate our responsibility to find another time to worship God and offer prayer. Similarly, churches need to help support those whose work or other activities make Sunday morning a challenge and offer alternative times for worship and prayer.

I also like that this list reminds us that doing nothing can be as bad if not worse than doing something – specifically remaining silent rather than speaking up in the face of injustice.  We are called to an active faith, not passive submission.  We need to argue and disagree in order to come to a place of understanding and knowledge.  Passivity will get us nowhere.  God needs us to be at work in the world, showing all God’s children just how much they are loved, not because they SHALL NOT do something, but because they choose to live abundantly in God’s full favor.

Take some time to reflect on these Commandments.  Do they help your understanding of your relationship with God?  Are they helpful in defining the parameters of our relationships with both God and our neighbor?  Do any of them change your perspective of how to live a faithful life? 
By examining the Commandments, we see where we need to work on our relationships.  Joyfully, God is working with us to be in those relationships, so as long as we are diligent and faithful, we benefit completely.

In Christ,

Rev. Valerie+

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