Exodus 20 and Psalms 119
This morning’s reading grabbed me and shook me by my collar. First, we see the 10 commandments in Exodus 20. Then in Psalms 119, the Psalmist expands on that. As a parent, it really made me consider how important God’s word and his commands should be to us.
Exodus 20 maps out God’s joyful life-plan, one line at a time. Each commandment is not just a rule, but a step toward the deep purpose and happiness God wants for us.
I think about how many people seem to have no joy. We all crave good stories, but all you have to do is pull up social media or television to see story after story of miserable people breaking the 10 commandments. Today’s TV, movies, music, and media seem to be designed to help us compromise with evil. I can’t remember the last time I watched a movie or series that didn’t, in one way or another, try to plant seeds that normalize going against what God’s Holy Word teaches us. It may be something like taking God’s name in vain and just dropping that in the script, planting seeds that lead us down the wrong path. The enemy’s plan is for us to reject God. But he doesn’t come marching in, it’s not all at once, that would be too obvious — it’s a slow chipping away at our defences. We can’t build walls that separate us from people who aren’t like us, but we don’t have to invest most of our time into worldly content.
I wonder what the world would look like if we searched for God with all our hearts? If we didn’t compromise with evil? I don’t believe that nearly 1 in 6 Americans would be on some mental health drug. God wants us to obey his laws and to be joyful. Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. I’m not telling anyone to stop taking their meds. I’m a strong believer in medicine, and chemistry helps many people. But as family leaders, we need to keep God’s commandments carefully; we can’t compromise with evil. And the prince of this world wants us to reject God. When we listen to music, watch shows that promote things that God commands against, are we not compromising with evil? I’m not saying that all modern media is “devil”. But we don’t know the authors of secular content, or where their hearts may belong. We can’t live in a bubble, and Christ sat with sinners, but we must anchor our lives in Christ to resist the pull of the world.
What if, instead of watching the latest Hollywood trash movie or series that’s all the rage, we watched something from Angel Studios? Or we listened to praise music in the car instead of the latest worldly, award-winning artist? What if we decided to do a Bible Study together, start with a verse, and maybe timebox it to 5 minutes to discuss? Maybe instead of talking about our neighbor’s faults, we pray for them as a family? Just a simple prayer or conversation about Jesus is a step in the right direction.
Our families need to study and meditate on God’s word, worship, and pray together daily. We have to live intentionally for Christ. It’s our job as parents to teach, to lead our kids daily. Not just on the days we go to church, we can’t be lukewarm and expect someone else to teach our kids. We are with our kids way more than any pastor or youth minister. It’s our job, and the consequences of our inaction and our actions are heavily affecting generations. We have to be warriors, spiritual gatekeepers, and lead by example.
‘5You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. 6But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those#20:6 Hebrew for thousands of those. who love me and obey my commands. ‘
Exodus 20:5-6
As Christians, we know that rejecting Christ ends in death. Maybe as Christians, we don’t outright reject Christ; maybe we compromise with evil a bit too much? As I grow older, it seems more and more people reject God. What is the world going to look like 4 generations from now?
Here are a few simple ways we can start making a difference:
- Pick one night a week to have a “screen-free” family evening and use that time for a fun activity, playing UNO or a board game with Christian music in the background, reading or discussing a Bible story, or worship together.
- Create a short daily ritual, like reading a single Bible verse or sharing something you are grateful for before bed or at dinner.
- Light a candle before our meals and pray a short prayer thanking God for the light he brings to us.
- Turn off the radio and play praise and worship songs in the car during your daily commute.
- Pray together as a family at the start or end of the day, even if it’s only for a minute or two.
- Choose Christian movies or shows for a family movie night.
At the end of each week, check in with each other on how these are working, where they are seeing God. Small, regular steps can build a stronger spiritual foundation for your family and keep everyone focused on God’s truth throughout the week.
‘How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word. ‘
Psalms 119:9
Heavenly Father, I thank you for your word, the precious blood of Christ, who makes us right with you, and for your commandments. Help us understand the meaning of your word, your commandments, to love you with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, to love our neighbor as ourselves, and meditate on your wonderful deeds. In Christ’s Holy Name — Jesus. Amen.