Handbook for Righteous Living

Where are you in your relationship with God and Jesus Christ? Have you been forgiven of your sins and committed your life to Christ? Are you seeking to find a closer relationship with God? Is your life in turmoil, and you struggle with no idea where to turn? Life is not easy to navigate. I know! I struggled with habits that carried into my adult life. I had trouble with jobs, trouble with relationships, trouble with finances. You name it! Everything in my life became a struggle. In 2012, at the age of sixty-five, I found the Lord and dedicated my life to Jesus Christ. But this is not a story about me. Rather, the Handbook to Righteous Living is a manual for navigating life to put it simply. The goal is to help you find a better life; to improve your relationship with others; to become successful in your endeavors; to find peace, joy, and strength, and a love for others that you have never experienced. Are you familiar with the Fruit of the Spirit? How do we become Children of Light? What are the characteristics of someone who lives for and serves God as opposed to those who have evil thoughts and desires? How can we change those characteristics that we dislike or that others disapprove of and find a path to redemption? Do you seek salvation and a new life, an eternal life? Hopefully, these questions and more will be addressed. The following excerpt is from the chapter, Give Praise to the Lord. “The list above tells us that our God deserves our honor, glory, and praise for all that He has done and continues to do for each of us. He has shown us His love and compassion. Because of His forgiving nature, He is always willing to forgive those who have sinned and fallen away. God’s word tells us that He will forgive us seventy times seven. And I know from experience that He will start over again at 491 if that is what it takes to get our attention. So that tells us that He does not hold His anger against us forever. He is righteous and just. God does not play favorites! He treats each of us equally. He is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent (all powerful, all knowing, and ever present). He will never forsake us if we are truthful, honest, and open to doing His will and obeying His commands. He is all that and much more. And all He asks of us is that we do His will.” “But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear Him, and His righteousness with their children’s children…with those who keep His covenant and remember to obey His precepts.” Psalms 103:17-18 There are no guarantees along the way. What you draw from these lessons is up to you. You may have heard the old saying, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.” Whether or not you grow is based on your application of the principles. Whether you develop a relationship with Jesus Christ will be determined by your faith, practice, and love and trust in God.