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chirsty and have gone wichout food;
ofcen 1 have shivered wich cold, wich–
out enough cloching
to
keep me
warm.
"Then, besides all chis,
1
have che
constanc worry of how che churches
are gerring along"
(The Living Bibie,
II Cor.ll:24-28).
T har is quite a lisr of advencures,
enough ro make roen of lesser forti–
cude opr for a safe, comforrable office
job. But externa! problems were noc
all Paul endured. He also had whac he
refers ro as a " thorn in che flesh," pos–
sibly a health problem, alrhough he
doesn 'e refer ro it specifically by name –
(11
Cor. 12:7). He does imply ,
though, rhat his eyes gave him prob–
lems (Gal. 4:15).
In addicion, he just wasn't very im–
pressive in person. He says little abouc
chis facc, buc does mencion chac
ochers had cried
to
denigrare him in
che sight of his congregacion by
racher nascily alluding co che facr char
he was powerful enough in bis Jecters,
bu
e
chac his bodily presence was weak
and
his
speech concempcible
(Il
Cor.
10:10).
Yet Paul Was Happy
By now you can probably sense che
obvious lesson about ro hic you
be–
cween che eyes: Happiness doesn'c
necessari ly come from wealch, posi–
cion, sexual freedom, or unlimited
power and status. A man enduring
che worsc of living condicions, like
Paul, can be happy in spite of che way
chings look or feel.
" ... For I have learned, in what–
soever scace I aro, cherewich ro
be
concenc," said Paul in Philippians
4:11. " I know now how co live when
chings are difficulc and I know how
co live when chings are prosperous. In
general and in particular I have
learned che secrec of facing either
plenty or povercy" (Philippians 4:12,
Phillips cranslation).
Whac
was
bis secrec? Whac did
Paul know chat Solomon didn'c?
The answer is:
NOTHING.
Solomon knew che same basic for–
mula for happy living that Paul
PLAIN TRUTH
Jonuory
1973
preached, buc che facr rhar he ignored
ic lirerally ruined his life. As a biccer
old roan looking backward on wasced
years, Solomon advised younger men
co pay actention
to
his disasrrous life
and to avoid che same misrake he
made: "Remember now thy Crearor
in che days of rhy yourh, while che
evil days come not, nor che years draw
nigh, when rhou shalt say,
1
have no
pleasure in chem.... Lec us hear che
conclusion of che whole maccer: Fear
God, and keep
his
coromandmencs:
for chis is che whole dury of man"
(Ecd. 12:1 , 13).
" Fear God and keep his command–
ments."
That
was che one ching
which could have made Solomon
happy - which would have made his
fabulous wealth, noc at all wrong in
icself, a blessing rather chan a frustra–
tion. And, obedience
to
che laws of
God was che one ingredienc in Paul's
life which enabled him co keep going
- even ro be happy - in spice of alJ
obscades in
his
path.
And these same principies, if you
obey chem, can make you happy -
no matter whac your sicuation in life
- if
YOU
choose noe ro ignore chem.
But Are They Relevant Today?
"Ail righc," you say, "but we are
all living in che rwencieth century,
noc rwo chousand years ago in a
Middle Eascern kingdom noced for its
myscical adherents and richly embel–
lished hiscory. How would following
an ancient code like che Ten Com–
mandmenrs help anyone living in che
city ghetto, or playing che freeway
game each day, or struggling with un–
paid bilis, scriving ro pacch up marital
spacs, worrying over visics ro che hos–
pital, breaching che pollured air?"
Isn' t celling everyone ro do so more
than just a little absurd, a gross over–
simplification as a solution ro com–
plicated human problems?
Not really. The Ten Command–
ments are cimeless and apply no mar–
ter whicb cencury you happen co have
been born inro. For inscance, che sev–
enth commandmenr says, in whac
sounds ro many
1
ike foreboding
tones, "Thou shalr nor commir adul–
cery." In ocher words, "Don'c cheac
on your wife or husband. lt'll make
you both unhappy."
It goes wichouc saying rhac all of
mankind is not now obeying God -
and probably won'c unless forced to.
But rhink, fo r a momenc, of che fan–
rasric resulrs which would occur if
everyone on earrh were ro obey jusr
chac one commandmenr. No more
broken bornes. No more agonizing
hearcbreak which cannot
be
measured
scariscically. No more wrecched child–
hoods spenc first wich one parenc,
then wich che ocher, always wich che
tension and insecuricy which accom–
panies such a childhood sicuarion,
and which very ofren produces deep
problems in che aduit years. If every–
one were striving ro obey jusc chis
ONE
commandmenc, che very mar–
riage covenanr would nor be encered
into so blithely. Young couples
would cake marriage much more seri–
ously if chey realized they were mar–
rying for life, and noc simply until
che nexc attractive body comes
around. In short, obedience to thac
one commandmenc could save man–
kind from a whole hose of premarital
and marica! problems, hearcaches and
cragedies.
But that is only one command–
menc out of ten, only one example of
why Solomon 's advice co "fear God
and keep bis commandmencs" is an
open invitation ro a happier, fuller,
more sacisfying life - che kind of life
God wants every human being co ex–
perience. Our reprint article, "This Is
che Life - Real Abundanc Living,"
more fully explains how you, individ–
ualJy, can learn to live rhe good life,
not che empty, hopeless life.
Also, if you would like ro have
more information abouc che Ten
Commandmencs, explaining how aJI
of chem are applicable ro Jife in
coday's world, ask for che colorful
booklec encicled
The Ten Command–
mentJ.
You can receive chis licerarure
ac no cose to you simply by wricing ro
che editor. O
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