Christian Family Services Ministry

9-21-2018 – A Word to the Wise: THE POWER OF OBEDIENCE? IT WOULD HAVE SAVE 2 MILLION PEOPLE THIS YEAR ALONE

Over 93,000 deaths each year are due to preventable accidents caused by disobedience, or neglect of some rule, law, or order. Nearly 2 million in the US will die this year because they fail to observe warnings from parents, doctors, ministers, the government or the Word of God.

THERE ARE TWO MAJOR STUDIES WHICH FURTHER DETAIL THE IMPORTANT OF OBEDIENCE

The first study involves a 75 year study called the Terman Life-Cycle Study. The study started in 1921 with 856 boys and 672 girls. The participants have been followed at 5 and 10 year intervals for 75 years.

The results were startling. Two major points are made in this article; divorce in childhood is a predictor of a shortened life span, and degree of conscientiousness in childhood is a predictor of longer life.

The one factor found to be a consistent predictor of greater longevity in this group was a factor the investigators called ‘conscientiousness. What did the investigators define as conscientiousness? They define it as prudence, truthfulness and social dependability. Factors the researchers expected to account for a longer life such as sociability, high self-esteem, optimism, high energy, and permanency of mood, all failed as indicators.

The sole predictor outweighing all of the others was the trait of conscientiousness. What difference exists in the length of the participant’s lifespan? One study indicates at least six years difference been the attainable age, that is 74 for unconscientious males and 81 for conscientious males.

Simply obeying the rules results in an increased life span. Violation of our body by improper diet, inadequate exercise and the use of known harmful substances accounts for a majority of admissions to medical and psychiatric facilities.

Most violations are of known rules, laws, ordinances and instructions. Thus, one readily sees why disobedience to authority, whether toward a parent, government or biblical laws, results in a shortened life span.

Only a willful rejection of disobedience will bring about the ability to live longer. It is God’s promise regardless of one’s color, creed, or sex. Respect for God’s creation and obedience to His laws lay the foundation for obedience to those who have the rule over us. The second study? We will see what scripture says about obedience.