The Ten Suggestions

“Be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you” (Joshua 22:5).

Do you live by the Ten Commandments or the Ten Suggestions?

The word “commandment” means “a divine order.” The word “suggestion” means “a hint.”

When you read the Bible or hear a sermon, do you process the information as a “must do” or a “might do”? In other words, does the Word of God direct your life and the decisions you make?

When I was a child in Sunday School, we memorized the Ten Commandments. They were also posted on the wall in my school classroom, along with the Constitution of the United States. Everyone revered the Ten Commandments and took them seriously. Later, in college, I learned to question them. Professors taught me right and wrong were relative and depended on the situation I was in and the culture I was working with.

Was this God’s intention? Or did He mean what He said?

The Ten Commandments are not what God hopes we live by, they are what He expects us to live by. They are not optional.

Many people know these laws but decide not to obey them. Instead, they do whatever seems good at the time.

For example, it can be seem good to pay less income tax, but you shall not steal. It can seem good to fall in love with someone other than your husband, but you shall not commit adultery.

If we want to be part of God’s family, we need to view the Ten Commandments as commands, not suggestions.

Kimberly Snider is a missionary to the Philippines.

From “Moments for Moms,” a free email subscription.
Copyright (c) 2005 Women’s Ministries of the Assemblies of God.
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