Rules, Rules, Rules – Good for a Reason

What rules did you have while growing up? Here’s a sampling from my memory lane…

Pick and choose and rationalize

The list of rules flushed everything that looked like fun, so I picked the ones I wanted to obey and rationalized my way through the rest:

Some rules were for my safety and well-being. Others simply helped our schedule at home run more smoothly and changed with circumstances and seasons. Some rules bugged me. Others were tolerable. Some I managed to appreciate.

The older I get, the more I understand the importance of rules

Imagine life in a society without them! Everyone would do what’s right in their own eyes. Chaos and crime would reign supreme. That’s why God has established rules. He knows the human race can possess brilliant minds but zero wisdom. He knows we’re capable of royally messing up our lives and the lives others because of our selfish nature. And so, He’s laid out a few rules for us to follow.

Here’s a sampling of God’s good rules for us

Imagine how sweet life would be if everyone on earth followed these rules. Too bad we don’t. Instead, we pick the ones we want to obey and rationalize our way through the rest. And what happens next? We end up in trouble and blame everyone but ourselves.

God’s rules are for a reason

Following them doesn’t flush the fun or cramp our style if we’re serious about living a life that He honors. Neither do they restrict us. Instead, they give us abundant life.

Psalm 119:156 says, “LORD, how great is your mercy; let me be revived by following your regulations.”

Obeying God’s rules brings us understanding. Following them enables us to live well in a complicated world, surrounded by imperfect human beings. Embracing them brings benefits, while ignoring them brings regrets. Seems like a no-brainer then, doesn’t it?