Studies have consistently shown that a life of righteous living yields great benefits or as the Lord puts it an abundant life and one recent study adds to the evidence that if you want that good life it is found in obedience to God.
The report released by the Pew Research Center found that people who prayed daily and attended church at least once a week had much different attitudes when compared to other Americans.
According to this poll at least 30% of Americans could be classified as very religious under this definition and the attitudes proved what the bible teaches about the righteous who follow the Lord.
More than 40% of those surveyed who identified themselves as very religious were satisfied with the direction their lives were taking when compared to 24% of average Americans but 74% of the righteous were very satisfied with their life circumstances compared to 67% of average.
The very religious were also generous with their time, finding that 45% of very religious had volunteered in the last week with only 28% but when money donations or goods were added it was 65 to 41.
Among the more interesting stats of this study was that of family, it turns out that the righteous spent more time with their families than average Americans with 47% saying they visited their families at least once a month compared with 31% of average.
Such a study gives us a snapshot of why it is better to follow Jesus Christ not only for eternal life but also for the benefits in the here and now. You see eternal life does not begin when you die; it starts from the moment you decide to follow Jesus.
When we choose to submit to the Lordship of Jesus we can be empowered by the Holy Spirit to walk in the way Jesus taught us to walk.
We must devote ourselves to the study of scripture, to prayer and to the assembly on a regular basis of the body of Christ. When we make these lifestyle choices to obey Jesus we change our minds and therefore our lives.
It is important to know not only who we have believed but what it means to follow Him. When our lives are defined by His word and we walk in His ways we can be confident in the choices we make and therefore be satisfied with the direction our lives take and the circumstances we live. We put others before ourselves and we are more generous with our time and treasure so we can build healthy families and communities.
The life of the righteous, and by the way we are righteous when we are saved but also by living a life according to God’s ways, has so many benefits that have yet to be quantified by studies. We know that obedience to God leads to not only more fulfilling and satisfying lives but often to longer more productive lives.
The bottom line is that choosing a Godly life is always a good choice filled with so many of the things people are searching for in the bottle, the needle or in sin and self gratification but what will you choose today?
