The dream of all human beings is to live long and well so that they can enjoy all the good things life has to offer. Interestingly, Deuteronomy 5:16 states: “Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” And, Deuteronomy 5:29 states: “Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children. -Deuteronomy 5:29
Upon reading the foregoing verses in the book of Deuteronomy, I could not help noticing come to mind a picture of a long queue of men, women and children waiting for their “anointed spiritual father” to bless them so that it might go well with them in life. The following question came to mind: Is there a short cut (in church) to long life and well-being?
Please note that both verses in Deuteronomy 5 seem to suggest otherwise. There are no short cuts to long life and well-being to be offered in churches. Honoring father and mother as the Lord God commands is necessary if a son or daughter is to have long life and well-being on earth. Similarly, to fear God and keep all his commandments is a pre-requisite for a human being to ensure (true) well-being for himself and his children –the same as conforming to an instruction manual can guarantee that a product is fully made use of.
Now imagine a young man having it tough in life, nothing works for him, and, meanwhile he does not honor his father and mother at all! Or imagine, a parent struggling to look after his family and his life is one crises after another, yet he does not fear God nor obey his commandments. Let me tell you that both of them need to repent (change the way they think) and not only the blessing of a religious figure in order to change their circumstances -like a farmer who must change the kind of seed he uses in order to have the harvest he wishes for.
Here is where the church needs discernment to diagnose the real cause(s) of problems for which people seek prayers in order to really be of help to them. Some of the people seeking for blessings only, as magic solution to problems, actually need good teaching so that they can apply biblical principles daily in order to reap the harvest of long life and well-being.
May the Lord help us all, in Jesus Christ’s name.
