One of the world’s most recognized sets of laws are the Ten Commandments. Christians, Muslims, and the Jewish people all follow, at their core, the commandments that God gave to Moses for His people.
In our increasingly secular world where relativism runs rampant and people think they can do whatever they want without any consequences to their actions, it’s so important for us, as Christians, to know how we are called to live and why!
My campus minister and friend, Father Stephen, often refers to the Ten Commandments as the “guide rails” that God has set in place for humanity. Think of guide rails on the side of the highway. When one stays inside the guide rails, they are safe. If, however, you try to go outside of the guide rails, you’re sure to crash. The guide rails aren’t meant to keep you from something good, but rather to keep you from a path of destruction and, ultimately, death.
Let’s examine each commandment, its meaning, and how it helps us stay “inside the guide rails.”
By the way, the Ten Commandments come from Exodus chapter 20. The commandments in Exodus 20 vary slightly from the list of Commandments in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (below) due to translations as well as the combining and pairing of Commandments throughout history. Please reach out if you'd like more information about this!
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
I am the Lord your God: You shall not have strange Gods before me.
It's pretty straightforward: Keep God at the center of your life. Everything else—money, power, career, people, and material things—comes after. When God is at the center of our lives, everything else falls into its proper place.
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
Our words should be lifegiving- promoting beauty, goodness, and truth in all circumstances. Building up instead of tearing down.
Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day.
Attend Mass every Sunday and on Holy Days of Obligation. Before the Resurection, the Sabbath day was Saturday for the Jewish people. Since the Resurrection occurred on a Sunday, it is the holiest day of the week and the day that God’s people are called to come together in worship.
In addition to this, God created us in such a way that we were not created to work non- stop! That being said, we are called to rest on Sundays, to care for God, our families, and the bodies and minds that He gave us.
Honor your father and mother.
Our parents and those in authority over us are gifts from God and are to be respected and honored. This does not mean that they are perfect, or that we must always do as they say if it goes against God’s Law, but that we ought to have respect for and pray for them.
You shall not kill.
We are to honor and love one another, recognizing the beauty and dignity of human life. This means treating one another physically, verbally, and emotionally in a way that uplifts and encourages them instead of tearing them down. This also applies to our own body, mind, and soul.
You shall not commit adultery.
Human sexuality is a gift from God. We are to respect the dignity of the male and female bodies and their distinct differences and beauty, and reserve the sexual act for marriage, as it was designed.
You shall not steal.
Our time, talent, money, and material goods are gifts from God and ought not be wasted or taken if belonging to another.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor
Our words ought to reflect the truth and not be embellished or made up if they will harm someone else.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.
God has called us to our present circumstances and Vocations. We should be content in our circumstances and aim to love as best we can without being envious of others.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.
Everything we have is a gift from God- our material wealth, our circumstances, etc. Comparing what we have to others only harms our own emotional state and fosters a spirit of jealousy.
By looking at each commandment, we see that they are not restrictive but rather life-giving and preserving. They uphold the dignity of every human person, promote gratitude for the gifts God has given us, and help us to keep the Lord at the center of our lives. When discussing the Ten Commandments with someone, it’s important to emphasize the love of God and the true gift of the commandments. After all, what good and loving Father would not want to provide guard rails for His children on their way home? 😉
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