234. Live Well
Ephesians 6:2-3 Honor thy father and mother (which is the first commandment with promise;) that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
This is a conditional promise: if you obey your parents, then it will be well with you and you may live long on the earth. We are not able to define what it means to live long. “Long” is a relative number. It probably means a full life, with every day being full of life and enjoying every minute. Living long is also defined by the parallel promise, “it may be well with you.”Living well is ultimately more important than living long. A long life can still be miserable.
“Living well” may be defined differently by different people. Each person’s life is unique and one person’s interesting life is not for another person. Each of us can define living well in a way that is meaningful to himself. And it would be a good idea to attempt our own definition of living well. Someone once said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.”
It can be said with certainty that God wants you well; He also provides the resources to live life well, even in spite of physical or mental handicaps. We believe that Jesus Christ has granted every believer a wonderful life.That we don’t all enjoy all the complete wellness of life that God wants to give us is most likely because of our sins and shortcomings.
God gives the Ten Commandments in order to bless us and enable us to enjoy a completely well and full life. The single example of this one commandment about obeying parents implies that obeying every commandment brings the promise of a wonderful life. Our life and the life of the whole world would be so much better if everyone obeyed the Moral Law of God and did not sin. That’s a given; therefore the Law is a blessing of God’s goodness to us. Blessing and curses are delineated in the Bible, dependent on whether we obey or disobey the Law. The Law is a good thing; it is I, the sinner, who is a bad thing: consequences follow.
Every bookstore has a thousand books and a thousand ways to show one how to live well; but only One Book gives the Truth and the Way. But since Sin caused us to lose our way and suffer diminishment of Life, God made another Way, the only way, to the well and good life: It is the Gospel.
Specifically, in this commandment the conditional promise is for those who learn to honor and obey their parents. “Obeyers” will live well. Those who learn to obey their parents will more easily learn to obey God. Obedience builds character, strength, self-efficacy, and many other inner blessings that produce a good life. Every person has failed, some a little, some a lot, but every person can come into Life through repentance and faith in the Gospel. Repent, Believe, and Live Well.