And you know what? Just as the universe is governed by a set of laws, so were we human beings designed to live by certain laws. For me, perhaps because I am a Christian, I find the Bible to contain the most effective set of laws. If we were all to obey biblical laws, we wouldn't be having such societal ills as rape, theft, murder and gender-based violence.
One thing I have discovered about biblical laws is that if we disobey them, we will be oppressed by those less intelligent than us. I am talking from experience since I have broken quite a number of those laws. Here's a quick summary of the sins I have committed and the biblical laws I have broken:
| Sin I Have Committed | Biblical Law I Have Broken |
|---|---|
| Causing my parents distress by running away from home | Honor your father and mother so that you may live long... (Exodus 20:12) |
| Telling lies | The Lord detests lying lips... (Proverbs 12:22) |
| Over-eating (gluttony) | For ... gluttons become poor and drowsiness clothes them in rags. (Proverbs 23:21) |
| Over-sleeping (sloth) | A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest - and poverty will come on you like a bandit... (Proverbs 24:33-34) |
| Reacting in anger | Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools. (Ecclesiastes 7:9) |
| Sending my friends silly and perverse messages | Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up... (Ephesians 4:29) |
| Plagiarizing other people's writings (stealing) | He who has been stealing must steal no longer... (Ephesians 4:18) |
| Harboring bitterness in my soul | Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (Ephesians 4:31-32) |
Having experienced the consequences of breaking biblical laws (guilt, shame, oppression and resentment), I am now endeavoring to walk in obedience to God's Word. I have succeeded in obeying most of the biblical laws: rising before dawn, thinking noble thoughts, remaining chaste, telling the truth always, giving my all to the work I do, and asking for permission before taking other people's property.
The one biblical law that I am finding hard to live by is loving other people and being generous. Well, I am generally a people-loving person; I sometimes lovingly stare at the photos of my friends and famous people. But man, don't I sometimes feel jealous when others succeed and when I hear folks donate money to those in need!
About three months ago for instance, my mother received money from my kid brother Symo. She then had the money sent to three of her siblings just to make their day. Her generosity made me a little jealous. I had to overcome the pangs of jealousy by reminding myself of the verse in the Bible that says "a generous person will prosper".
Such kind of jealousy and selfishness is what I am struggling to overcome. I want to be generous with my money and with my feelings. By being generous with my feelings, I mean wishing others well in their endeavors and being enthusiastic about their success as I am about my own.
Because the Bible says God is love, I believe we are never more like God than when we love other people by wishing them well, by helping them at their hour of need and by complimenting them for doing good work. Which is why I want to be generous with my money and with my feelings.
As I strive to be generous, my role model will be David Mwakima, a friend of mine currently studying in America. Even though Mwakima is younger than me, he has unfailingly helped me at my hours of need. Sometimes when I approach him for financial assistance, I fear he might criticize me for relying on him too much. But he never does that. He just sends me money while complimenting me for the progress I am making. How I wish I could be that generous!
The Bible is very clear that we should practise generosity. In 1st Timothy 6:17-19, St. Paul urges rich people not to be arrogant but to do good, to be rich in good deeds, to be generous and willing to share. I will strive to live by that law in my day-to-day living. And why am I keen to obey biblical laws? Because of the joy, peace and freedom they bring to our souls. So help me God.
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RECOMMENDATION: If you've enjoyed reading the above story on obeying God's laws, you might also enjoy another one on "Practicing Generosity" that I wrote sometime back. Just click on that link in blue to dive straight into the story.
