Deuteronomy 6:3
“Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey.”
One of the desires for my life is to be someone who serves the LORD until the day I die. I truly understand that this will not be an easy task. There have been many who were better Christians than I who have fallen by the wayside for many reasons. By God’s grace my desire is to be a lifer for Him.
You will not mistakenly serve God your entire life. If you are going to be a lifer for God, then you will purposely have to do some things to make that happen. God gives us a formula that will help us to be a lifer. If you will follow that formula, you will find that the Christian life will not just be a way of life, but it will be your life. Let me show you four things God reveals of what it takes to be a lifer.
First, you must make God’s commandments a part of your being. God commanded in the verse above to “observe” His commandments, but He goes further with this thought by telling us to make them a part of your heart, soul and might. He wants every part of your being to be in love with God and His commandments. God’s commandments have to be more than just a picture we hang on the wall, but we must put our heart, soul and might into making them our horizon to guide us through life. You will never be a lifer for God until His Word becomes a part of your being.
Second, if you are going to be a lifer, then you must teach His commandments. In verse 7, God told Israel to “diligently” teach them “unto thy children.” Teaching the Word of God will help to make His commandments a part of your being. It is not enough for you to simply read and obey them, but you must teach them if you want to be a lifer. Teaching God’s commandments not only helps you to learn them through study, but it makes you accountable to obey them to those whom you taught.
Third, if you are going to be a lifer, then you must talk about God’s commandments everywhere and all the time. Don’t just make Sunday the only time you talk about the Word of God. Every time you are reminded of God’s Word, tell people about it. When you make the Word of God a part of your everyday conversation, it will help you to obey it and will keep those who would invite you to do wrong away.
Fourth, if you are going to be a lifer, then let others know you are going to follow God’s Word. Verse 9 talks about writing God’s commandments “upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.” In other words, God wants you to declare to tell others that you are a Christian and that you will only obey His Word. Declaring your position marks you. Don’t be ashamed of it. You will never successfully be a lifer if you don’t declare you’re following the LORD.
Take the challenge of being a lifer for God. This formula is simply taking you from being an undercover Christian to wearing the uniform of the Christian so all can see. It won’t be easy, but God gives us the wherewithal and the strength to be a lifer.