Have you ever looked in a magnifying mirror? You might look in the regular mirror and think, “I look good,” and then you look at that magnifying mirror with extra light and you realize you don’t look nearly as good as you thought you looked—because a magnifying mirror puts your flaws on display. When I look at the Ten Commandments given to us from God, I realize how far short I fall. They’re like a moral mirror driving me into the open arms of Jesus.
Practical Principles
- You shall not steal. If you have stolen you should return what you have taken, and compensate for it as restitution. Steal no longer, and then do something useful. Work for the things that you need and want.
- You shall not lie. It’s interesting that out of the seven things that God hates listed in Proverbs, two of them have to do with lying and deceit. Why does God hate lying? Because He is the source of and the very personification of truth.
- You shall not covet. Coveting isn’t simply desiring something that someone else has; coveting is being devoured by desire for something that is not yours. It actually means to eagerly desire that which belongs to another, or to set your heart on it.
Relevant Reminders
- Lying takes many forms, including flattery, gossip, and exaggeration.
- The heart of the problem is the problem of the heart.
- Everything that you own belongs to God because you belong to God.
Applicable Actions
Sometimes people say, “I’ll just follow my heart. I’ll do what my heart tells me to do.” But your heart can mislead you. God can change the human heart, but you have to admit to Him that you aren’t good enough and that you fall short.
Have you been trying to be a good person? Have you been trying to be a moral person? Have you even tried to be a religious person and you fall short? Listen, I’m not talking to you about religion. I’m talking to you about a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, a friendship with the Lord. Don’t follow your heart; follow God.
