“Is it possible to extend your life?”
People ask this question over and over in different forms each day. Some try to extend their lives by eating certain foods. Others follow an extreme exercise program. Still others accept self-help courses and books. Misguided faith can also give false assurance of longevity.
I knew of a church that believed God’s children would live to 150 if they had enough faith, which several of our friends claimed to have. Pointing out to them that God’s promises do not include such an expectation proved futile. Mentioning great Christians—who had excellent faith, such as Billy Graham, but who did not live to that age—only caused them to firmly claim their faith made them sure they’d live that long. My old carpenter father would have called this “blind faith.”
In contrast, these verses objectively reveal a child of God can add to their life by an obedient heart. Let your heart keep my commandments: For length of days and years of life, and peace they will add to you. Do not let kindness and truth leave you; bind them around your neck.
Kindness and truth, when on display in our lives and written on our hearts, are reflections of wisdom, which enables a long life and prosperity. However, prosperity comes in different forms since our heavenly Father knows what is best for each of us. Spiritual prosperity is eternal; material prosperity is temporal.
Obeying God Almighty is never a dry intellectual exercise of religious duty when there’s heart involvement. Jesus said the first and greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind.
Learn how to extend your life by claiming God’s promises as you open your heart to the Spirit of God. Then, ask God to help you never think your mind is more important than your heart of love.
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(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)
The Rev. Dr. Bob Segress served as a licensed psychological clinician for twenty-five years. Upon retiring, he served for fifteen years as a prison minister. Retiring again, he began writing full-time after a period of boredom. He has written: The Biblical Approach To Psychology while serving as a college educator, The Shelton Series, and, in 2012, Ten Years Inside Shelton Prison. Currently, he writes for several publications such as Halo Magazine.