The sacred union of marriage & family were established by God in the beginning and were meant to be a blessing to us forever. The family is the foundation of society and it mirrors our relationship with God. Therefore, it is very important to Him that we honor marriage and our promises.

The 6th commandment says not to murder. We read that and we think 'checked that box. Good Job!' Then we keep reading and see that Jesus warns against even getting angry and we think 'Oh, maybe that's just the bear minimum. I might not doing so well after all.' Our self-righteousness fades away and humility takes its place. We are all lawbreakers and yet we have a Savior to free us and a Spirit to guide us. Love is the answer.

What does it look like to honor our parents throughout our lives? Learning to honor them when we are young, teaches us to honor employers, government, and leaders as we get older. But ultimately, honoring our parents teaches us how to honor God. Our relationship with them mirrors our relationship with Him.

Remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy. On it you shall do no customary work. This may sound like a restriction, but it's not. It it our permission to rest. God knows we need rest to be at our best. With this special day built into our week, we can start the next rejuvenated and strong. This commandment was meant to be a blessing, not a burden.

Loser. Ugly. Bossy. Dramatic. Pathetic. Stubborn. Liar. Hypocrite. Lazy. Mean. Snob. Stingy. Greedy. Weak. Are these names that you want to be identified with? What about these? Beautiful. Kind. Helpful. Generous. Ambitious. Hard-working. Joyful. Peace-maker. Respectful. Strong. Dedicated. Faithful. Capable. Talented. Names matter, don't they? What people call you matters. We all want to have a good name. We all want to be known as someone good. When people spread rumors about us and tarnish our good name, when they act like are a nobody, or when they use our name to disparage another, we get angry and hurt. That is how God feels when we dishonor His name too.

How would you feel if you had to listen to your spouse praise another? What if they bought gifts for this person? How would you feel if they spent time with them over you, talked to them more, seemed to have more affection for them, or acted if this person could give them something that you can not? You would certainly feel betrayed, cheated on, jilted. Now, do you think that you have ever made God feel like that?

How do you feel about rules? Do you tend to be a rule follower or a rule breaker? Do rules make you feel comfortable and give you structure or do they feel burdensome or restrictive? Are you more apt to obey when you trust the person making the rules or you understand the reason behind them? Or, maybe you like making the rules but you don’t really like to follow them. Maybe you like to virtue signal and hold the rules over everyone's head but it's really all just for appearance.

As we enter a new year and you are thinking about your new years resolutions, think about your inheritance from the Lord and the legacy you want to leave. Make changes that will matter in the long run, things that will impact those around you for years to come. Adopt values and practices that you want your loved ones to inherit and work to leave a legacy that matters.

There is no spiritual neutrality. We are either with God or we are against Him. He has no use for someone that is lukewarm. We are of no use to anyone when we are straddling the fence. We all have to make a choice. If we play both sides, then no one knows where we stand.

Anything that pulls us away from God, weakens us. But when we partner with other believers, we are stronger. They can help us carry the burdens of life and when we are closely tied to that person, they keep us on the straight path. Also, if you are both being guided by God, then you will be going in the right direction. So, unite yourselves to other believers and let God guide you. Move in unison to accomplish the work God has for His people.