How To Enjoy Life And Still Make It Into The Kingdom Of God -By Joe Dauda

If a rich man gives you a car and tells you to drive it anytime you want and go anywhere you want, is that man not a nice man? What if he says you should never drive without your seatbelt, never overtake dangerously, and never drive above the speed limit nor drive under the influence of alcohol? Do these safety rules detract from the man’s kindness? Do they mean he is no longer a kind man? Are these rules not to ensure your own safety?

I call it the Genesis 2:16 rule. It is the rule of freedom. When God created man, He only gave man one rule. That rule is in Genesis 2:17. Our God is a God that loves freedom. Imagine Adam and Eve in the vast and beautiful Garden of Eden. God is so freedom-loving He essentially told them they could do anything they wanted except touch or eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Can you imagine such freedom?

How about us?

He only gave us Ten Commandments. Keep them and you are free to do whatever you want in this world. Are you aware of that? Have you ever thought about the matter this way? Most people do not see the freedom inherent in just 10 rules and the goodness of God in giving these rules.

What is your problem sir?

God says you should have no other gods apart from Him. Do you know He considers you so dignified He does not want you to worship anyone except Himself? It’s like the President of your country telling you not to bow to anyone apart from him. Is it not more honorable to you that you are required to bow or to worship no one except the King of the Universe Himself? God is saying you are too much to worship other men, or even angels. He is saying the only being you can rightly worship is God Himself. That is how much rank you have as a man. When you worship other men or even angels, you are demoting yourself. The first commandment is to stop you from ignorantly demoting yourself.

The second commandment says you should not bow down to any image. Do you have a problem with that? So you want to bow down to images instead of bowing to the living God Who is invisible? Bros what is your problem?

The third commandment says you should not take the name of the LORD your God in vain. Are you ok? Why would you want to call the name of God in comedies and jokes? Are you not afraid of the One that holds the breath in your nostrils? He says He does not like His name being mentioned in vain. Just stop doing that and apologize for using His name in jokes or frivolous conversations.

The fourth commandment is for hardworking men and women. It says you should rest on the seventh day of every week.  Don’t work for all of that 24 hours. Don’t you like resting? And while resting, would you not want to fellowship with your brethren and family and spend time with them and with God?

The fifth commandment says honour your father and your mother. What’s your problem with that?

Or do you want to commit murder? The 6th commandment says don’t commit murder.

Do you want to have your neighbour’s wife? Are you ok? The 7th commandment says don’t commit adultery.

Would you like someone to steal your car or would you like to steal someone’s car? The 8th commandment says don’t steal.

How would you like to be deceived by someone you trust or depend upon? The 9th commandment says you shall not bear false witness.

And then the 10th commandment says you should not desire to have what does not belong to you. You can desire to build the type of house your neighbour has, but you cannot desire the have the one already owned by your neighbour; nor a woman already married to your neighbour; nor anything already owned by your neighbour. King Ahab wanted Nabboth’s vineyard and he ended up killing Nabboth. That is how dangerous it is to covet what does not belong to you and the 10th commandment says you shall not covet.

What is wrong with any of these commandments?

They are all equivalent to the safety rules of the rich man who gave you a car for free—they are all for your own good.

As long as you bear these commandments in mind, you are free to do whatever you want in this world. Isn’t that freedom?

Now go ahead and enjoy your life because that’s what God wants for you. Stop thinking of His rules as restrictions: they are all there to make you live wisely, avoid trouble, have peace of mind, and receive blessings from both God and man. And He will reward you with eternal life for choosing to live wisely and enjoy your life. Read Genesis 2:16 and see this principle. Focus on the things God has permitted you to do and don’t bother about the forbidden things; don’t worry about them and don’t lament about them. This principle is the key to enjoying life and still inheriting the kingdom of God.

And that’s the verdict for today according to Joe Dauda.