No matter how many curveballs life may throw at us, we always ask God to protect us from harm, to cover our family and friends when we pray, because we don’t want to die or to lose our loved ones prematurely. We pray to God to preserve our lives because we cherish and appreciate the gift of life and want to continue enjoying it as long as possible. Many people who suffer from depression, for example, detest life and have suicidal thoughts. As someone who has dealt with these things myself for many years, I never thought I could be delivered from these spirits until Jesus showed up, then depression and suicidal thoughts had to flee. For someone reading this who battles with these spirits, I recommend prayer and fasting against these attacks until Jesus steps in. And I pray that the saving might of the Lord’s right hand rest upon you and uproot all these demonic spirits from you so that you may love and enjoy life again in Jesus’ Name. Amen!
Usually, people who have suffered from depression and have been delivered have a different kind of appreciation for life because they know where they’ve been and what God has set them free from. Suddenly, they love life so much that they want to live and never die. Though we will all die one day, God is so merciful that He still gives us the secrets for a long, spirit-filled life even though we live in a decaying world. God always tells us to do good and to shun evil. I think it is important for us to examine why He insists that we practice those things, which should warrant our attention to understand the depths of His commands.
What is evil, and what is good?
We can easily pinpoint the evil things that are in this world today, such as genocide, homicide, suicide, rape and the list goes on. However, we must not forget that a murderer, for example, didn’t wake up one morning and become a murderer. It all started with the many evil behaviors and evil ideas in the heart and mind that were left unchecked, which then led to uncontrolled anger, bitterness, and the distorted perception that taking away someone’s life is an acceptable way to escape from frustration and anger.
One of the best ways to understand what is evil and what is good is to consider the things God hates and the things He loves and to follow His commands. In Proverbs 6: 16-19 “There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to Him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lie and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.” Then in Galatians 5: 19-21, it talks about the types of fruits that one will produce when they are led by the flesh instead of the Spirit, which are: “Sexual immoralities, impurity and debauchery, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissension, factions, and envy, drunkenness, orgies and the like.” In a nutshell, these are the things that are evil in God’s eyes, and let’s not ignore the emphasis on the deadly works of the lying tongue mentioned in both passages of Scripture above.
Now let’s consider what’s good in the sight of the Lord. The Bible tells us about the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5: 22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, against such things there is no law.” Then Jesus talked about the Beatitudes found in Matthew chapters 5-7, in His first sermon, He said what He considers good which are different from what we are used to, such as love your enemies, giving to the needy, prayer, fasting, seek the treasures in heaven, not to worry about anything, not to judge others, ask-seek-and knock, to enter the narrow gate, to watch out for false prophets and disciples and to be wise builders.
Jesus also told His disciples who He considers as righteous and blessed by His Father found in Mathew 25: 34-36 “For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited Me in, I needed clothes and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you came to visit Me.”
Now, let’s weigh the options for a long, spirit-filled life.
There is a strong correlation between your heart-mind and your tongue, which determines your actions. Luke 6:45 says, “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” And Jesus said in John 8:32 “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” We also have to consider these following passages of Scripture to know the secrets that were given to us, which are found in Psalm 34:12-14 “Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies, turn from evil and do good, seek peace and pursue it” and the second one is in Proverbs 18: 21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue and those who love it, will eat its fruit.” In other words, the more I learn to control my tongue and make good use of it by speaking blessings instead of curses, the more I’m heading in the direction of life, regardless of what the world thinks. And the more I use my tongue to speak death to self and others, the more I’m heading in the direction of destruction, regardless of how satisfying it may feel to my flesh, because God’s word cannot fail. It may seem like I’m winning when I misuse my tongue and do evil; however, just because it looks like I’m winning doesn’t mean I’m winning, and the opposite is also true. Jesus, for example, remained silent, endured the shame, and was stretched on the cross because of our sins. It looked like He was losing the battle, but He was winning the war.
Also, God says in Exodus 23:25-27 that He will give us a full life span, His protection and His blessings will be on our food and water when we worship Him. Therefore, worship is one of the most important things, if not the most important thing, that keeps us in God’s presence because we were created to praise and worship Him.
Now, let’s bring the whole thing home by making it more practical.
Just like everything else in life, if we desire to live a long, spirit-filled life, there is a price to pay. The question is, are we willing to face the challenges? And the decision is based on what we are looking for. Now that I know I need to do good, worship the Lord continually, and control my tongue (keep my lips from telling lies) or keep my mouth shut (if I can’t control it) to see many good days, then it doesn’t matter what people say or think. Let people be rude, let them mock, win arguments, tell lies, curse, plot against, and cast spells all they want. However, we will use our mouths to cry out to God in prayer, to bless them and pray for them, and to worship the Lord, and do good because we know what we want and what we are after. We also want to be a role model for our children and our grandchildren, knowing that we will reap the benefits.
As a CNA working with elderly clients for a long time, I have cared for some of the most amazing, wisdom-filled elders. For some of them, it looks like God keeps multiplying their years. They are in their late 90s, heading to the 100s. They are mentally sharp, and some of them need little to no supervision with their assistive device. I usually ask them about their secrets to longevity and how they remain so calm and joyful in their old age. Some would tell me that they’ve learned to seek peace, not worry about the things they cannot change, live life one day at the time, and allow people to be themselves/ let people be; which helps me understand that we are not called to change people but to become better versions of ourselves and let our lives be an example to whomever we encounter in life who is willing to do the same.
In conclusion, God has given us the grace to choose life or death, to choose a short-lived life or one that is more abundant, which is the one that Christ died to give to us. Though following Jesus’ commands to live a full lifespan is not easy, it is doable if we want it badly enough. Therefore, let us outsmart the devil through Christ and live an abundant, long, spirit-filled life here on this earth and beyond.
God’s Word is unchangeable! He cannot lie!
SCRIPTURES
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Matthew 5:8-9
“Because he loves Me, says the LORD, I will rescue him, I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on Me, and I will answer him, I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life, I will satisfy him and show him My salvation.” Psalm 91: 14-16
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