The Trouble with Keeping the Sixth Commandment

"You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment."

Matthew 5:21-22

The scope of this commandment goes far beyond acts of murder. Jesus made this clear when He said that the sixth commandment searches out the thoughts, attitudes, and intentions of the heart.

Think about a train moving down a track. Murder is the name of the station at the far end of the track on the line of conflict. Most of us will never go anywhere near that station, but all of us have travelled somewhere along the line.

The commandments are like warning signs along the road, telling us what to avoid. But they are also like directional signs, showing us where to turn and what to pursue. The sixth command points us, firstly, to embrace life. Your life is a precious gift from God and keeping the sixth commandment means embracing the life that God gives you to the full.

Ask God to give you a vision of what your life can be. Seize every opportunity to develop yourself. Look for ways in which you can be a good steward of all the gifts that God has given to you. And look for ways in which you can bring God’s blessing into the lives of others.

There is no greater way to embrace life than to begin a relationship with Jesus Christ, who said, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). Jesus is the Life-giver. He gave His life so that you may have life.

How could you push further into keeping this command today?