Devotion

…You will keep my commandments! Doesn't that sound easy? But, like the Rich Young Man in the Gospel, and the scribe who wants to know who is his neighbor, it's just not that simple. Today's world makes it a lot more difficult to figure out what the commandments mean. On the surface, many of them sound easy to keep because we don't think we adore other gods, and we don't believe in murder, and what does covet mean anyway? When we dig a little deeper and realize that the god we worship is often ourselves, or those curse words that slip off the tongue are just part of today's speech, or who doesn't tell a little white lie occasionally, we realize that the commandments are more difficult to keep than we originally thought. Perhaps it's time to review the seven deadlies and see how they work into this equation. Do I let pride make me put God or others at the end of the line? Am I envious of the good fortune of others? Do I fuel the fires of anger instead of forgiveness? Do I allow lust to take root in me so that unhealthy relationships enter my life – in person, or electronically? Does gluttony for the good things in life rule my days so that work or the desire for money is more important than family? Perhaps sloth is a problem. Am I too lazy to pray, to go to church, to help my neighbor? You see, when these sins are rooted out, the commandments become a lot easier to follow, and that goes for the most important commandment at well – love others as Jesus has loved us. And as Jesus tells us, we don't have to go it alone, the Holy Spirit is there to help us. All we have to do is ask.

Prayer

Lord, please remind me that the commandments are not suggestions but rules to be followed. Amen.