10 Things to Stop Doing if You Want to Live Longer

                               






                                 

                                             
1) STOP EATING MAINLY PROCESSED FOOD

One of the major dietary changes that’s taken place in many countries over the last 30 years has been a shift to consuming more processed foods. Along with processing comes an increase in added sodium, more saturated fat, more sugar, and less fiber. The result? More cardiovascular disease, hypertension, cancer, and diabetes.
For example, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommends consuming no more than 2,300 mg (less than 2.4g) of sodium each day less for many seniors and other people with certain health conditions, like high blood pressure. Still, in a survey of more than 7,000 Americans, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) found people consume an average of 3,300 mg of sodium per day. Most of the salt comes from restaurant and convenience foods, like baked goods, cured meats and soup.
Do your body a favor, and try to eat "clean" more often, including foods high in fiber (which are linked to greater longevity) and other ingredients you purchase and prepare yourself. If you’re short on time (and who isn’t?), cook ahead in big batches, or splurge on ready-made salads and other fresh or frozen vegetables, while watching the sodium and sugar contents on the label.

2)STOP SMOKING
 
If you’re a smoker, you know how hard quitting can be, but here’s some inspiration: The NIH says tobacco use remains the most preventable cause of death. Some estimates suggest smoking can rob you of a decade of life.
Whether you quit cold-turkey or phase out your habit, your body is surprisingly forgiving; blood pressure and circulation improve soon after quitting, and your risk of getting cancer decreases every year thereafter. Keep in mind that your family members will also benefit from your staying tobacco-free because they'll no longer be exposed to dangerous second-hand smoke. You'll look younger, too.

3) STOP SITTING STILL
 
If you don’t feel you have time to exercise, consider this: You may not need to hit the global minimum recommendations of 30 minutes a day, five or more times per week, to extend your life. A study published in 2011 in The Lancet, examining the activity habits of more than 416,000 men and women in Taiwan, found that getting just 15 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each day helped subjects live three extra years. The longevity boost went up to four years of longer life for people achieving the threshold of 30 minutes a day. The results held true even for those with health problems like cardiovascular disease and for overweight people who didn’t lose any pounds through their activity.
Brisk walking was one of the "moderate intensity" exercises cited in the Taiwanese research. You might have to make a conscious effort to work it into your daily routine, but 15 minutes of activity for an extra three years of life sounds like a longevity bargain.

4) Stop Holding a Grudge
 

Anger can be a tough emotion to release, especially if you feel justified in your outrage. Maybe the best question to ask yourself is this is it worth the cortisol? Levels of this stress hormone go up when you’re stressed or angry, with negative effects on your heart, metabolism, and immune system. High cortisol has been associated with greater mortality in a number of studies.

5)Stop Keeping to Yourself

Staying social can be a good longevity booster, mostly by helping you manage stress and by strengthening your immune system. Good relationships keep you strong, while bad relationships can leave you in a negative frame of mind, and put you at risk of depression and even heart attacks.
Staying connected can be a tough one if you are feeling down, have lost someone close to you, or live far away from extended family and friends. There are ways to re-engage and meet new people even if you are in a new city, including volunteering and reaching out to others with similar interests through networks like business groups and book clubs.

6)Stop Thinking That Only Big Changes Count

Sweeping, radical changes in lifestyle might be inspiring, but they can also be too daunting and therefore, short-lived for ordinary mortals. The next time you resolve to eat healthier or exercise more, try aiming low! Try choosing just one small change at a time, like getting up 10 minutes earlier in the morning to fix yourself a healthy lunch for work, instead of a major life makeover. Like the exercise advice above shows, even short spurts of activity each day can reap big benefits for your lifespan.
Small shifts can fly under your own radar, adding up to big benefits over time without causing stress in your busy world. Consistency is more important than a short-term, grand gesture. Besides, looking at what’s already working in your day-to-day routine can help you feel energized and motivated to tweak a little more in a healthy direction.

7)Stop Letting Fear (or Denial) Keep You From Being Healthy

Of all the personality traits that could affect your longevity, conscientiousness consistently ranks as an important one, perhaps the most important one. Why? Well, conscientious people tend to engage in healthy behaviors like eating well, exercising, and following their doctors’ advice, while avoiding risky behaviors like smoking and driving too fast.
However, don’t confuse being conscientious or diligent with being neurotic about your health, a trait that may be linked to negative emotions like anxiety, anger, and depression. A simplified example might be that a neurotic person worries he might have cancer, and fearing the worst, doesn’t go to his doctor. By contrast, a conscientious person may still worry, but gets screened or tested, learns about the disease, and gets treated in a timely fashion.

8)Stop Cheating Your Night's Sleep

The amount of sleep you get can affect your lifespan, and not just because a sleepy driver is at risk of a car accident. In epidemiological studies, sleeping too little (fewer than six hours) or substantially more (over nine hours) has been shown to put people at greater risk of death. Quality of life is also on the line: A good night’s sleep can help you ward off stress, depression, and heart disease.
You can learn to fall asleep more quickly and take measures that can help, like keeping your bedroom dark and distraction-free, and having the temperature on the cool side. Meditation exercises can set the stage for a good night’s sleep, and an inexpensive noise machine can help with relaxing sounds. If you’re still having trouble getting to sleep, or staying asleep, see your health provider for further help.

9)Stop Stressing

Like anger, stress takes its toll on your body and may actually shorten your life. By trying to reduce stress, you can improve your health in the long-term, and quality of life in the meantime.
Journaling or writing in a diary, meditating (a practice with multiple longevity benefits), and learning to relax are wonderful ways to de-stress. Working in just a few minutes of meditation a day even at your desk can give your brain the mini-vacation from anxiety and tension it needs.

10)Stop Relying on or Blaming Your Genes

Having parents, grandparents, or other family members live into their nineties and beyond might suggest that you will too, but don’t rely too heavily on that family history. Studies conducted on twins in Scandinavia suggest that genetics may be responsible for only about a third of your longevity potential.
This is, of course, good news for those of us without that exceptional ancestry. Environmental and lifestyle factors like diet, how much exercise you get (what researchers call modifiable risk factors), whether you’re exposed to workplace toxins, how much stress you experience, how conscientious you are about medical tests and screenings, and even the strength of your social relationships all play a huge role in how fast you age and how long you might live. Besides, why focus on the genetics you can’t control, when the factors you can will benefit from your attention?

How to Deal With Homesickness

Anywhere you are,this will be helpful. 

Firstly Developing Coping Strategies

1. Understand what causes homesickness. 
    
    Homesickness comes from the human need for connection, love, and security. Despite its name, your feelings of “homesickness” might not have anything to do with your actual home. Anything that is familiar, stable, comfortable, and positive can be a source of homesickness when you’re away from it. Research has even shown that homesickness is a kind of grief for a loss similar to mourning a breakup or death. 
    
   2)Recognize homesickness symptoms.
    
     Homesickness is much more than just missing “home.” It can cause a variety of feelings and side-effects that can impact your daily functioning. Learning to recognize these symptoms can help you figure out why you’re feeling the way you are and take action to help.

   • Nostalgia. Nostalgia is when you frequently think about your home or familiar things and people, usually through an idealized lens. You might feel preoccupied by thoughts about home, or find yourself constantly comparing your new situation unfavorably to your old one.
   • Depression. People who suffer from homesickness often experience depression because they lack the social supports they had at home. You might also feel like you have less control over your life, which can worsen depression. Common signs of homesickness-caused depression include feelings of sadness, feeling disoriented or like you “don’t belong,” withdrawing from social activities, academic or work difficulties, feeling helpless or abandoned, experiencing low self-esteem, and changes in your sleeping patterns. Not wanting to do or not enjoying things you used to do is often a sign of depression.
   • Anxiety. Anxiety is also a hallmark of homesickness. Anxiety due to homesickness may cause obsessive thoughts, especially about the home or people you miss. You might also have difficulty concentrating or feel extremely stressed without being able to pinpoint a cause. You might get easily irritated or “snap” at people in your new situation. In extreme cases, anxiety can trigger other responses, such as agoraphobia (fear of open spaces) or claustrophobia (fear of confined spaces).
   • Abnormal behaviors. Feeling homesick can throw you off your normal routines and change the way you respond to things. For example, if you’re not usually an angry person but you find yourself getting upset or yelling more than you used to, this could be a sign that you’re feeling homesick. You might also eat significantly more or less than you usually do. Other symptoms include frequent headaches or experiencing more pain or illness than usual.
2. 
    
   3)Keep familiar things around. 
    Having familiar things from “home” can help ease your feelings of homesickness by giving you an “anchor.” Things with high sentimental or cultural value, such as photos of family or an item tied to your cultural identity, can help you feel connected to home even when you’re away.

   • Don’t overwhelm your new space with things from home, though. In order to adjust to your new situation it’s important to embrace the changes that you’re experiencing.
3. 
    
   4)Do some things you loved to do at home.
     Research shows that doing things you feel nostalgic about can help you feel better. Tradition and rituals can help foster a sense of connectedness to your home even when you’re far away.

   • Eat your favorite foods from home. There’s a reason we have the term “comfort food.” Eating familiar foods from your childhood or culture can make you feel happier and more secure in your new environment. Try introducing your favorite foods to new friends to strengthen the connection between familiar sources of comfort and new sources of emotional support.
   • Participate in your religious traditions, if you have them. Research has shown that people who have religious or faith traditions feel less homesick when they participate in those traditions in a new place. Finding a place of worship or meditation in your new place, or even finding a group of friends with similar traditions, can help you adjust.
   • Find some similar activities to do. If you were in a bowling league or book club at home, don't be shy. Do your research and see if you can find something similar in your new environment. You'll be able to do the things you love and meet some new people in the process.
4. 
    
   5)Talk about your feelings with someone. 
    It’s a common myth that talking about feeling homesick can cause or worsen symptoms of homesickness. Research has shown that this isn’t true. In fact, talking about what you’re feeling and experiencing can help you deal with your homesickness. Not acknowledging your feelings can make them worse.

   • Find a trusted person to talk with. A college RA, a guidance counselor, a parent or close friend, or mental health professional can give you a sympathetic ear and, often, advice about how to cope with your feelings.
   • Remember that seeking help from someone else doesn’t make you “weak” or “crazy.” Having the strength to admit you need help is a sign of courage and good self-care, not something to be embarrassed about.
5. 
    
   6)Keep a journal. 
    Keeping a journal will help you get in touch with your thoughts and process everything that is happening in your new environment. Whether you're studying abroad, in college, at summer camp, or just moved to a new city, you will likely be experiencing many new and unfamiliar sensations, and keeping a journal can help you keep track of your thoughts. Research has shown that keeping a journal where you reflect on your experiences and how they made you feel can help relieve feelings of homesickness.

   • Try to keep your focus positive. While it’s normal to feel lonely and homesick, it’s important to look at the good side of your new experiences. Think about the fun things you’re doing, or think about how something new reminds you of something wonderful from home. If you only journal about how miserable you’re feeling, you may make your homesickness worse.
   • Make sure your journal is more than a list of negative feelings and events. When you do list a negative experience, take some time to think and write about why it made you feel that way. This is called "narrative reflection," and it serves a therapeutic purpose.
6. 
    
   7)Get plenty of exercise. 
    Research has shown that exercise releases endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins can help fight anxiety and depression, which are both common side-effects of homesickness. If you can, exercise with others. This will give you the chance to socialize and meet new people.

   • Exercise can also boost your immune system. Homesickness may manifest as increased feelings of sickness (e.g., frequent headaches or colds).
7. 
    
   8)Talk with friends and family back home. 
   Talking with your loved ones back home can help you feel supported and connected, which is important for adjusting to a new place. 

   • You need to develop a sense of self-confidence and self-reliance to combat homesickness effectively. Don’t let yourself focus so much on your loved ones in another place that you don’t learn how to manage on your own.
   • Talking to friends and family can make homesickness worse for very young children or for people who are away from home for a very short time.
   • You can also spend a bit of time on social networking sites to connect with friends and see what they’re up to. Don’t focus so much on your old friends that you don’t have time to make new ones, though.
8. 
   9
   Avoid obsessing over your old home. While connecting to people back home can be a great coping strategy, it can also become a crutch. Don’t let your attempts to remind yourself of home take over your life. If you find yourself staying in to talk to your mom for the third time that day rather than grab a coffee with a new friend, consider adjusting the amount of time you spend on connecting with new people.

   • Schedule your phone calls home. Set limits for how often and for how long you’ll talk to friends and family back home. You could even try writing old-fashioned “snail mail” letters. These are great ways to stay connected to people back home without letting your nostalgia for the past keep you from experiencing the present.

                                                    Method 2

                                          Reaching Out to Others

1. 
   1
   Make a list of what you miss about home. 
    It’s very common to miss your loved ones when you’re away from them. Make a list of the people you miss and what they brought to your life. What memories do you cherish? What things did you do together? What aspects of their personalities did you love? Finding new friends who are similar to those you left behind can help you feel emotionally supported. It can also help you adjust to a new place or situation.

   • Look for ways in which your new environment is like what you miss. Research on homesickness has showed that when you can find aspects of the familiar in your new situation, you are less likely to stay homesick because you are focused on something positive.
2. 
   2
   Get involved
   . It’s easy to say that you need to make new friends, but actually doing that can be hard in a new place. The best way to develop a strong social support network is to put yourself into situations where you’ll meet new people, especially if you have similar interests. Getting involved with new activities can also help distract you from your feelings of homesickness.

   • For example, if you’re away at school or college, there are a variety of clubs, sports, activities, and student government bodies you could join. These can help you connect with other people, many of whom are probably experiencing homesickness too!
   • If you’re at a new job or in a new city, it can be hard to make new friends. Research has shown that you may find it harder to make friends after you leave college. Consistency is key: joining a group that meets frequently, such as a book club or workshop, is likely to help you make friends because you’ll see the same people on a regular basis.
3. 
   3
   Share what you love about home with others. 
   One of the most important things you can do to fight homesickness is to make new friends. Having a strong support network makes you less likely to have problems coping with homesickness, even if you feel it. Sharing your positive memories about home will help lift your spirits and make you feel more comfortable talking about home.

   • Have a party where you share your cuisine and customs with new friends or acquaintances. Whether you're studying abroad or just going to college a few hours away, sharing your favorite foods from home with others can make you feel better. You can have a party where you teach a few friends to make the foods you love most from home, or just invite some people over to enjoy your favorite local snacks.
   • Share your favorite music with others. If you're from a place that loves country music, have a small get-together where people play board games, get to know each other, and listen to your favorite tunes. If you loved listening to jazz at home, play some jazz. The music doesn't have to directly relate to your home as long as it reminds you of being home.
   • Tell funny stories about being at home. Though you may be feeling too mopey to laugh, try sharing some funny anecdotes about what you loved most about being at home. Talking about fond memories can strengthen your connection to home and to new friends.
   • If you're living in a place with a different native language from yours, try teaching some people a few key phrases in your language. This will be fun, distracting, and educational for your friends.
4. 
    
   4)Be brave.
     Feeling shy, awkward, or vulnerable is a common side-effect of homesickness. If you don’t take any risks, you will miss out on experiences that could help you adjust to your new situation. Try accepting invitations, even if you won’t know many people at whatever you’ll be doing. You don't need to be the life of the party! Just being present and listening to others is a good step.

   • If you’re shy, give yourself a manageable goal: meet and talk to just one new person. You’ll probably become more comfortable socializing as time goes on. Focus on listening to the other person, which is the easiest way to make a connection.
   • Even if you end up not making friends at that particular party or event, you will have proved to yourself that you can handle doing new, unfamiliar things, and that can boost your self-confidence.
5. 
    
   5)Get out of your comfort zone. 
    Doing the same familiar things may feel comfortable, but it’s important to push yourself out of your comfort zone to grow and change. Research has shown that a moderate level of anxiety, such as that experienced when you’re learning a new skill, can improve your performance in intellectual and interpersonal tasks. Feeling too comfortable can keep you from adjusting to your new environment.

   • Start with small steps. Trying to face your biggest fear all at once could be counter-productive. Trying to throw yourself into something completely foreign could leave you feeling overwhelmed. Give yourself small, manageable goals that challenge you a little bit at a time.
   • Try a new restaurant in your new town. Offer to sit with a stranger at the cafeteria. Ask someone in your class to start a study group with you. Invite a co-worker to get drinks after work.

                                            Method 3

                           Connecting With Your New Situation

1. 
    
    1) Enjoy the unique aspects of your new environment. 
   Finding ways to meet your needs in a new environment can be challenging, but it’s also helpful in fighting homesickness. Connecting with what is new and exciting about your new situation may help you feel more attached to it.

   • For example, if you're studying or living abroad, check out all of the museums, palaces, local restaurants, and cultural traditions that make the country unique. Get out your tour book and make a goal of doing something cultural at least once a week.
   • Immerse yourself in the culture. Even if you’ve just moved to a different place in your home country, you might find that the local culture is quite different from what you’re used to. Learn the local expressions, try out new cuisine, and check out local bars and pubs. Take a cooking class that focuses on local ingredients. Join a local dance club. Increasing your intercultural communication skills can help you feel more at home in a new place.
   • Ask the locals about their favorite things to do. You may get an excellent recommendation for finding the best burrito of your life, or you could get directions to a gorgeous off-the-radar lake.
3. 
    
   2)Learn the language. 
    If you’ve moved to a new country, not being able to speak the language can be a huge barrier to feeling like you belong. Learn the language as quickly as you can; take classes, chat with locals, and practice your new skills. You’ll feel more confident and in control once you’re able to communicate with the people in your new environment.
4. 
    
   3)Get out of the house. 
    Getting out of the house is half the battle to beating homesickness. Of course you'll be homesick if you spend eight hours in a day watching reruns of The Office in the near-dark. Instead, make a goal of spending a lot of your time out of the house, whether it's just to read the same book you were going to read at home in a sunny park, or to take a long walk with a good friend instead of doing sit-ups in your room.

   • Work or study out of the house. Go to a coffee shop or park and do the same work you were going to do at home. Just being around people may help you feel less alone.
5. 
    
   4)Pick up a new interest. 
    Finding something new to do on your own can help you find your passion. It can give you a positive, productive activity to focus your energy on and can distract you from feeling sad or lonely. Learning a new skill can also help you break out of your comfort zone.

   • Try finding a hobby that’s related to your new environment. See whether there are any biking or hiking clubs in your area. Join a local art class. Find a writers’ workshop. If you can socialize while developing a new skill, that will help you feel more connected to your new place.
6. 
   
   
   5)Give it time.
     Don't be disappointed in yourself if you're not in love with your new environment right away. Many people around you may have embraced their new surroundings more quickly, but that doesn't mean that there's something wrong with you; in fact, many people who may look like they're having a great time may in fact be feeling incredibly homesick. Have patience and know that with a bit of perseverance, you'll be able to make it work.

                              60 REAL FACTS                                                                                                                                              1. A group of flamingos is called a flamboyance.
 2. If you fake laugh long enough you’ll start to really laugh, really, really hard.
 3. The book cover to the prize winning short story collection, Spellbound, was chosen because author, Joel Willans, bought his wife’s engagement ring with poker winnings.
4. The Beatles used the word “love” 613 times throughout their career.
5. These websites exist.
6. Every year, millions of trees grow thanks to squirrels forgetting where they buried their nuts.
7. On the day of his assassination, Martin Luther King Jr. had a pillow-fight in his motel room.
8. The nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood, the carbon in our apple pies were made in the interiors of collapsing stars. We’re all made of star dust.
9. Cancer death rates are down 20% in past 20 years.
10. The miles travelled by the Apollo 11 crew to the moon were greater than every single exploration mission to the New World combined.
11. Penguins only have one mate their entire life and “propose” by giving their mate a pebble.
12. There’s an animal called a Dik Dik. And it’s the cutest antelope you’ll ever see.
13. Despite high infant mortality rates and lower life expectancies, not one of your direct ancestors died childless.
14. Cuddling releases Oxytocin which helps speed healing and recovery from physical wounds.
15. Otters hold hands when sleeping so they don’t drift away from each other.
16. Apollo 17 astronaut Gene Nance, the last man to walk on the Moon, wrote his daughter initials there. They’ll last at least 50,000 years.
17. There’s a type of jellyfish that lives forever.
18. Wayne Allwine (the voice of Mickey Mouse) and Russi Taylor (the voice of Minnie Mouse) were married in real life.
19. We now have less crime, a lower death rate and longer life expectancy than at any other time in human history.
20. The clitoris has 8000 nerve fibres, double that of the penis, and is the only organ in the body, which has evolved purely for pleasure.
21. Butterflies can taste with their feet.
22. For someone, somewhere in the world, today is the most amazing day of their life.
23. When you die, your body decomposes, and the atoms that contained “you” are recycled into Earth to be used again.
24. Every year the Netherlands sends 20,000 tulip bulbs to Canada to thank them for their aid in the Second World War.
25. Rats giggle when you tickle them. Their voices are so high-pitched you need special equipment to hear them, but when you do, their laughs are immediately evident.
26. Sea horses mate for life, are completely faithful and travel together by holding on to each others tails.
27. The guy in this video was born.
28. If you say “my cocaine” you sound like Michael Caine saying his own name.
29. Male puppies, when playing with female puppies, will intentionally let the female win.
30. The next Star Wars will not be directed by George Lucas.
31. It takes seventeen muscles to smile and forty-three to frown.
32.The kingdom of Bhutan use ‘gross national happiness’ as a key national indicator.
33. The majority of European children born in 2013 will live to see the year 2100.
34. Cows have best friends.
35. Neurologically speaking, seeing somebody else smile actually makes you happier.
36. Every human being spent about half an hour as a single cell.
37. There are people, ombrophiles, who have a passionate love for rain.
38. Once your brain realizes that you’re dying, it releases DMT, one of the most powerful known psychedelics. This dilates your perception of time and allowing you to live inside your own mind for hours or even days.
39. No matter how long you live there will always be an amazing new food for you try.
40. A group of porcupines is called a prickle.
41. Aside from a sample in a lab, Smallpox is completely extinct. No one else will ever die from it again.
42. A pig’s orgasms last thirty minutes.
43. We are going to die, and that makes us the lucky ones. Most people are never going to die because they are never going to be born.
44. Sloths only leave their tree once a week, to pee and poo.
45. Spinner dolphins sleep in pairs, one with the left hemisphere asleep, the other with the right. They each keep watch with one eye and half a brain. They are known to sleep-mate for life.
46. At the time of your birth, you were, for a few seconds, the youngest person on the planet.
47. Cows produce the most milk when listening to the song Everybody Hurts by REM.
48. Somewhere, someone is losing their virginity right now.
49. If you spell out numbers in order, the first time you get to the letter “a” is at one-thousand.
50. We’ve all been here forever. Every bit of matter we see has been here since the beginning of time and it always will be.
51. A monkey was once tried and convicted for smoking a cigarette in South Bend, Indiana.
52. Happiness is a skill. You can learn it and it’s not hard.
53. Except when breeding, the Common Swift spend their entire lives in the air, living on the insects they catch in flight. They drink, feed, and often mate and sleep on the wing
54. Baby rabbits are called kittens.
55. Baby puffins are called pufflings.
56. Costa Rica is statistically the happiest nation on Earth.
57. Worms communicate by snuggling.
58. 2013 is the first year since 1987 that consists for four different digits.
59. With our horseless carriages, flying robots, space travel, long-distance communication at the speed of light, cloning, lasers, connection to people all over the world, we are living in the future people dreamed of.
60. If you blend a sea sponge, it will re-form back into a sea sponge.

                                             THE DECALOGUE LAW
                   


J

What are the Ten Commandments? What is the Decalogue?"

Answer: The Ten Commandments (also known as the Decalogue) are ten laws in the Bible that God gave to the nation of Israel shortly after the exodus from Egypt. The Ten Commandments are essentially a summary of the 613 commandments contained in the Old Testament Law. The first four commandments deal with our relationship with God. The last six commandments deal with our relationships with one another. The Ten Commandments are recorded in the Bible in Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21 and are as follows:

1) “You shall have no other gods before me.” This command is against worshiping any god other than the one true God. All other gods are false gods.

2) “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.” This command is against making an idol, a visible representation of God. There is no image we can create that can accurately portray God. To make an idol to represent God is to worship a false god.

3) “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses His name.” This is a command against taking the name of the Lord in vain. We are not to treat God’s name lightly. We are to show reverence to God by only mentioning Him in respectful and honoring ways.

4) “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” This is a command to set aside the Sabbath (Saturday, the last day of the week) as a day of rest dedicated to the Lord.

5) “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.” This is a command to always treat one’s parents with honor and respect.

6) “You shall not murder.” This is a command against the premeditated murder of another human being.

7) “You shall not commit adultery.” This is a command against have sexual relations with anyone other than one’s spouse.

8) “You shall not steal.” This is a command against taking anything that is not one’s own, without the permission of the person to whom it belongs.

9) “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.” This is a command prohibiting testifying against another person falsely. It is essentially a command against lying.

10) “You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” This is a command against desiring anything that is not one’s own. Coveting can lead to breaking one of the commandments listed above: murder, adultery, and theft. If it is wrong to do something, it is wrong to desire to do that same something.

Many people mistakenly look at the Ten Commandments as a set of rules that, if followed, will guarantee entrance into heaven after death. In contrast, the purpose of the Ten Commandments is to force people to realize that they cannot perfectly obey the Law (Romans 7:7-11), and are therefore in need of God’s mercy and grace. Despite the claims of the rich young ruler in Matthew 19:16, no one can perfectly obey the Ten Commandments (Ecclesiastes 7:20). The Ten Commandments demonstrate that we have all sinned (Romans 3:23) and are therefore in need of God’s mercy and grace, available only through faith in Jesus Christ.