Following the Lord

The imagery is perhaps feudal, but I follow my Lord. I wish to obey him. I struggle to be an obedient follower, at times, but I ask him for assistance and support in the struggle to overcome my own desires, and to follow his lead.

He is my Lord, my protector, and my strength. He gives commands, and they are beneficial for me and for others around me. I love my Lord, and he loves me and my fellow beings. Does this sound old, out-dated, or strange?

I am a Christian, and Jesus Christ is my Lord.

Sometimes I read in the newspaper or listen to arguments about morality. It makes me wonder if morality these days is considered something life threatening, something which negates the good life. What is the meaning of morals, and what functions do they play? Let us take the most common sets of moral codes from the Bible: The 10 commandments, or the Lord’s Prayer, or the double commandment to love God and our fellow man, as an example. The Bible has many sets of moral codes, and they deal with how to live with each other, and how to live a godly life.

           

The short form of the 10 commandments

1   You shall have no other gods before Me.

2   You shall not make idols.

3   You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.

4   Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

5   Honour your father and your mother.

6   You shall not murder.

7   You shall not commit adultery.

8   You shall not steal.

9   You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

You shall not covet.

 (The long form is spelled out in Ex. 20 and Deut. 5)

This set of rules will be a source of disgrace and despair, if we are not living in the loving relationship to the Lord of life, the Lord of these commands. In addition, we have been given God’s Holy Spirit, a new life, and to live a godly life we can only do in the power of God. So, how do the commandments affect me?

            It tells me what is good: It is good to have no other gods in my life, but God. It is good not to be tied to, subjected, idols of any sort – and they are many. I think I understand from time to time that is implied with ‘do not take the Lord’s name in vain’ – but I wonder about this one…. Dragging God into wars and politics…maybe. However, the next one, about the Sabbath, is clearly good for all in society. We need to keep the Sabbath holy, as a day to be with God and family, and as a day of rest.

            What does it mean to honour my father? Do I brag about him and say all things nice about him? Well, there is some truth to that. My dad was a nice man. But it is more honouring to him, as it is to my mother, that I live a life, which reflect well on them.  

            I am now half way down the list of commandments and I have put in a few comments. My point is that God’s commands are good, and they create a hedge around me, and a protection for anyone else.  What is the basis for this type of moral standard? As I mentioned, it is based in the relationship with a dynamic character, and it is based in God’s goodness and love, both for me and for others.

            I think it is worth noticing that it is not anything which is based on my need and desire, my own craving for pleasure and happiness. This would be a human need centred Freudian base, and it has such limited scope.  I know full well that I have my needs and desires. I hope for happiness. I am a sexual being with certain natural drives. Still, this is not the base for moral codes, for how we live together.

            I have noticed that for many people such needs and desires are how they define what is good; and since it is based in the human body and psyche, the standard may change on relative terms. The norms may change arbitrarily. Unfortunately, this opens up a field of conflicting interests. In any relationship between people, there is a structure which may be rather binary opposite or complementary: strong /weak, male/ female, master/slave, etc.

I have not gone through the rest of the commandments with comments, and I feel it is not necessary to do so. What I think is useful, though, is to point out that the commandments regulate my behaviour, because I am responsible for how I live towards my Lord. It is a value base which is outside of us, outside of the human power structure, so to speak.

            So, the commandments are good, and they are for our benefit. Although I may struggle against them, I still choose to let go, and ask the Lord for help in the struggle: to obey the command that is plainly stated, because it is based in a love for me and for others.

            There is a mutual responsibility between us in relating to these commandments. They are valid for all, believers in God or not, but I would love for all to seek and receive the power God gives us to live with; it is the good life.