May 18, 2017

Lifestyle: May 18, 2017

TODAY’S WORD FOR THURSDAY MAY 18, 2017.
LIFESTYLE

DEFINITION:

A typical way of living reflecting attitudes and preferences of an individual.
SCRIPTURE:

My son hear the instruction of your father, and do not forsake the law of your mother. Proverbs 1:8.


KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Jesus indicated in the scriptures that there would be a permissive society just before He returns to this earth. He said in Luke 17:26, “As in the days of Noah, so shall it also be in the days of the coming of the Lord.” In the days of Noah the people were so wicked and evil that God sent a flood to destroy all the world except for Noah, his wife and their three sons and their wives. The world today has a lifestyle that basically is immoral and denies the existence of God much as it was in the days before the flood.

Today, many have fallen into a lifestyle in which they believe in intellectually as being all right in their own eyes even though they live their lives like the devil. When you ask them about God many respond that God is a just god and he will forgive them at some point and take them to heaven.

But the real truth is that being a Christian is serious business and refusing God’s offer for Salvation results in disaster. One needs to believe that he or she is a sinner, repent of their sins, asks Jesus to come into their heart and then follow Jesus and His teachings in order to be assured of eternal life with Jesus in heaven.

When choosing our lifestyle in life we are dramatically affected by what we were taught and what we learned beginning in our childhood days. As a young child, we begin to learn all of the positive and the negative values in our parent’s lifestyle. A child learns by watching and listening. What they witness in their parent’s lifestyle has the most influence on them. A parent’s influence has a major role in determining the kind of person a child becomes.

Lifestyles are learned by what a person sees and hears and decisions are then made by what interest’s one the most. Children need to develop positive work ethics at a young age. When they do they will usually continue to have good work ethics throughout their life. Good work ethics are needed in order to succeed.

The choosing of friends plays a vital role in shaping one’s life style. Parents need to guide their child in choosing friends. Again, one is affected by what they see and hear from their parents.

In Ezekiel 18:5-9, Ezekiel says that the word of the Lord came to him and gave him some thoughts on what God wants in a lifestyle. The MESSAGE translation puts it in words that we can all understand today. “Imagine a man with the lifestyle of living well, treating others fairly and keeping good relationships.” He goes on to explain what God does not want in a person’s lifestyle.

God wants us to be one, “Who doesn’t eat at pagan shrines, doesn’t worship idols, doesn’t seduce a neighbor’s spouse, doesn’t bully anyone, doesn’t pile up bad debts, doesn’t steal, doesn’t refuse giving food to the hungry, doesn’t refuse giving clothing to the ill-clad, doesn’t exploit the poor, doesn’t live by impulse and greed, and doesn’t treat one person better than another.”

When you read the next paragraph, you will see what is missing in the above verses and what God wants from us.

Then Ezekiel tells us what makes a good lifestyle. “Living by God’s statutes and faithfully honoring and obeying God’s laws. Those who live upright and well shall live a full and true life.” That is the lifestyle God wants from us. As believers, we are to have a lifestyle that is characterized by love, imitates Christ, demonstrates true faith, and is governed by truth which is God’s Word.

From early on as young parents we wanted to guide our children to lead a lifestyle that was pleasing to God. When they did something wrong we corrected them and endeavored to explain why it was wrong. We taught them to know right from wrong.

Before they could read we read to them from children’s Bible story books. We took them to Sunday school and church. We taught them to live by God’s standards. But what we realized to be the most important influence on them was our own lifestyle. They witnessed daily how we talked and what we did. We knew we had to live what we taught. Unless we walk our talk our words fall on deaf ears.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Psalm 23:1.

The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.

PRAYER:

Give me a lifestyle that honors and glorifies Your name daily. May my lifestyle set an example to all that I see and talk to this day. Give me guidance in teaching my children right from wrong so they can develop a lifestyle that honors You.



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