Day 61-Positive commandments

This was an interesting excercise. A few years back I was going to a church that suggested the members give up something for Lent. Lent is that time before Easter when we should ponder our spiritual life and follow Jesus' example and practice self-denial. so some gave up coffee, or ice cream. or a favorite TV show during that period. I did it that way for several years and found it a useful practice. It was often hard in the beginning to give up something that meant a lot to me. The idea of self-denial was to give something up which might distract us from God, and use the time or resources to honor God. But often I would only focus on the giving up. One year I felt I shouldn't give up something, but add something challenging, so I read a very difficult and long book on the life of Jesus. This required the same self-discipline as the self-denial and as I read page after page about Jesus I learned a lot I didn't know.

So similarly with the ten commandments focus on not doing something and add a related positive behavior.to make the commandments positive, say "not making idols", or "not swearing," can be recast into finding a new way to worship God. Or look for opportunities to bless God and other people by our words through encouragment etc.."Not ing" becomes find ways to promote/protect life. "not committing ery" Find ways to keep ually pure" "Not stealing"-> Share your posessions with others.