The Truth About Right Living - A Personal Observation

A few years ago, I came to a shocking realization about this nation, in particular, and about the world, in general. It was that, within this country, most young people grow up without ever learning the truth about the Lord. Because there is not any formal spiritual training within the public school system and because most homes are not Christ-centered, very few young people actually learn anything of consequence about God, and these statements can easily be applied to the whole world. As a result of this trend, which has existed in our society for many years, our nation, and even the world, suffers from the consequences of at least five spiritual problems

These problems have happened primarily because of the anti-God focus of the system around us. The first is that we are a nation which has turned from God. After decades of being taught to pursue a worldly, self-centered lifestyle, most people live each day without giving much consideration, if any, to spiritual matters. For the most part, the God of the Bible is not even in our thoughts. Second, our moral standards have steadily declined year after year, and even now continue to do so, such that we are without question an almost totally immoral society. Because of the media's ungodly influence, coupled with the secular training in schools and the lack of spiritual training in both the schools and the home, most young people simply are not given much in the way of sound moral guidance.

The third and fourth problems are that a growing number of people are confused about the true religion which is only found in the Lord Jesus Christ, and because of that, they dabble in all sorts of false theologies and philosophies. In our world today, we have many people trying many different ways to make peace with God. But if these ways are not Bible-based and Christ-centered, they will not work! Finally, the fifth problem, and perhaps the most disturbing of all, is that most young people are growing up with poor values and a bad concept of success, education, money, power, and the like. It is sad that so many of our youth have to live with the daily pressures of this existence, yet are deprived of the very real joy of an everyday walk with the Lord.

Over the next nine chapters, a three-part theological philosophy for right spiritual living will be presented. The intent will be to share a better way of life, one which will resolve the above five spiritual problems and, at the same time, also show a person how to please the Lord one hundred out of one hundred times. Each part of that philosophy will be based entirely on biblical principles, and as those truths are developed, a very clear lifestyle will emerge, one which will eliminate much or even all of the confusion about living for God. When this presentation is complete, each person should have a very clear idea about how to properly and spiritually pursue this life, both for a lifetime and also on a day-by-day basis.

The first of the three principles will examine how to have the right attitude towards God. In leading up to that, though, we shall begin in the next two chapters by first talking about how to close the sin gap with the Lord, a process which is simply that of establishing a right relationship with our Heavenly Father. In that part of the discourse, there will be some discussion about the system around us. There will also be some remarks about the devil, God's adversary and the one who actually rules that system.

In Chapters Four through Six, where we finally start to consider this first principle for right living, there will be some further discussion about the devil, particularly in terms of how he has worked in the Church. This will, then, be followed by an analysis that will show how to overcome him and, at the same time, also please God. This latter part of the discussion should be very important and also informative to all serious Christians because it will unlock many of the mysteries about correct spiritual living.

The second theological principle for right living, in Chapters Seven and Eight, will address having the right attitude or right focus towards the important matters of this life. The intent in that portion will be to clear up the lack of understanding, which I once had and which many now have, concerning the teachings and philosophies of the system around us. Great emphasis in this society is placed on worldly success, but for an individual who lives only a short while on this earth, how important really is such success? The answer, in my mind, is not very. Therefore, a new standard for living life smartly, successfully, and spiritually will be proposed, namely that an individual should strive to live equally well on both sides of the grave! Following that discussion, in Chapters Nine and Ten, the third and final idea about right spiritual living will discuss having the right attitude concerning matters of stewardship.

From a thorough examination of God's adversary, the devil, and of his devices of deception and distraction, and also from a careful consideration of each of the above three principles for right living, one should easily be able to see the right approach to this life. My opinion is that these three very straightforward, totally Bible-based principles can and should be the bases or driving forces in each individual's life.

To please God, one does not need to be brilliant, have or make a lot of money, possess a great job, or even pursue any of a number of other worthwhile earthly pursuits. While such things are nice to have and maybe even nice achievements to make, such outward signs of success are all well down the line from those pursuits which are most important. In fact, none of the worldly gains which most people seek or would seek are necessarily what the Lord requires or even desires from or for most of us. At the same time, though, one can cover both sides of that argument by saying that being destitute and miserable is not His way, either. Nowhere in Scriptures does He call any of us to a lifestyle of nonstop church, no fun, no possessions, poverty, and misery. The real truth and proper conclusion for all to reach is that what God wants for each of us as individuals is always a perfect match to what is best for us.

Before we are done with this analysis, it should become clear that many have been neglectful when it comes to addressing the really important spiritual issues of this life. They have let themselves be deceived about spiritual matters by a very clever adversary and by the very subtle workings of the system around us. In addition, many have let themselves become distracted from God by the cares of this life, even to the point of not having or taking the time to study about the Lord as they should. Many have let themselves become overwhelmed, which is really just another form of distraction, by the complexities of trying to answer all of the difficult spiritual questions, and many have let themselves be lazy, even to the point of never really getting started. If indeed, as many believe, ignorance is bliss, then the actual validity of that statement only lasts for a short while because ignorance in the long term is definitely not bliss! If anything, the opposite is true!

Concerning eternal spiritual matters, even concerning matters of living this life rightly, knowledge is much more valuable than a lack of the same. Consequently, this entire conversation about right living should be viewed as highly important. It should be obvious to everyone that we need to know the truth about the Lord. It should also be obvious that we need to know exactly what He expects of us. Therefore, these next nine chapters will be "how to" chapters so that each person can know best how to seek and serve the Lord in these present times. The topics that will be presented will not be very difficult to comprehend. There is not anything that is real deep, either theologically or philosophically, yet many people, even many highly intelligent people, have completely missed the point!