The Purpose of Rules

I just finished meeting with my growth group and our discussion reinforced something I've seen in Scripture over and over again. God's rules are for our good. His rules are more about protecting us than limiting us. For example, when someone puts up a fence in the backyard for their dog, it shows they care enough about the dog to keep it safe. The dog might not like the restraints in the same way a driver might not like their seat belt, but consider the alternative. When we realize that rules point us away from danger and show us the route to safety, we'll be much more inclined to follow them. May God give each of us the grace to see that the rules are for our good. 

For Our Good

God's laws are for our good. Or as Moses put it - "for our own prosperity and well-being." Deuteronomy 6:24, "...the Lord our God commanded us to obey all these laws and to fear him for our own prosperity and well-being..." (also see Deuteronomy 10:12-13). This means that God's commands are for our good! Yet often times we have this weird mentality that God is keeping us from good things when he forbids us to do something. Nothing could be further from the truth! Jesus came to give us a rich and satisfying life (John 10:10, NLT). And as we obey God's commands we get to experience that rich and satisfying life (I know I have!).

Let me illustrate. Pretend one of your young children has a plastic bag over their head. As a loving parent you would take the plastic bag away. The baby might cry and scream and beg for it back, but you still won't allow it. Why? Because as a loving parent you know what is best for your baby and won't allow them to engage in activities that are dangerous. As a loving parent you only want GOOD THINGS for your kids.

Similarly, God only wants good things for HIS KIDS (us!). And when he forbids something it's for our good! We may cry and scream and not understand why whatever it is that we want is forbidden. But that's like a baby not understanding why a parent took away the plastic bag. We are children and can't see things from our heavenly Father's perspective. If we could, we'd see what he sees - DANGER, TROUBLE, TURMOIL. And we'd stay away. This is where faith comes in to play. We have to TRUST God that if he says something is bad for us - IT IS (even if we don't understand).

Again, God's law are FOR OUR GOOD! :)

Rough Around the Edges

People who aren't saved yet, or people that just got saved, can be very rough around the edges (to say the least!). How do we, as Christ followers, who are farther along in our spiritual development, respond to such people? I suggest we respond to them as Jesus would.

Here's an excerpt from a book by Bill Hybels called Just Walk Across the Room that speaks to this issue:

Jesus was fierce in his determination to look past ill-timed comments and inappropriate actions. He dreamed about what could happen in a person's life if God's power were released in them - and so he pushed through people's fear and sin, and he kept including people, loving people, and lifting people up to their fullest potential.

As you view people through this lens - you have new eyes to see things as Jesus saw them. You allow peope's foibles and failings and faults to fall away, instead seeing them in their potential, Spirit-infused state. You see filthy-mouthed, party-loving, woman-chasing Joe (or whoever), and you say, "What would Joe - even a guy like Joe - be like if God ruled and reigned in his heart? Joe would be incredible if Christ invaded his world!" You start dreaming of that day, in fact. You begin picturing him in his redeemed state. Your love for him grows and grows as you move toward him, engaging in the good, the bad, and the ugly of his life. You find yourself craving oportunities to be around people just like him - people who are on prayer away from becoming your eternal brothers and sisters.