God Rules

Have you ever had that moment with your parents where you have been debating one of their rules, and why you have to do it their way?  If your teen years are anything like mine, then you will have a conversation that ends with your mom or dad saying something like this, "It is my house and as long as you are living under my roof you are going to follow my rules". 

For me this conversation happened a couple of times, but the one I most vividly remember was when I was 19.  I had spend a semester away at college in Boston, but it was too expensive, and I had come home with about 27 cents to my name and enrolled at UMaine.  To save money I was going to live at home.  I had no car, so to get to school I had to borrow my dad's pickup.  Again to save money I figured eating their food was a good idea.

I had spent months answerable only to myself, now I was back to depending on mom and dad for food, shelter and transportation.  Interestingly enough, there were strings attached.

If I wanted to use the car, I had to be willing to drive my 3 little sisters around.
If I wanted a place to live, I had to respect a curfew.
If I wanted to be fed, I had to ask before inviting people over.

Rules...  Someone else's rules!  The horror!

The fact of the matter was, these were really simple rules, but after having lived with basically no rules for a few months, I was aghast at the thought of having someone tell me what I couldn't and couldn't do.  But I obeyed.  Not because I was a thoughtful caring person. Not because I knew that God commanded that I honor my father and mother.  No, I obeyed for one simple reason.

I followed their rules because I wanted to use their stuff.

Now read Genesis 1:1 - and for good measure read Job 12:10, Isaiah 42:5 and Acts 17:24-28

If God made everything, including me, doesn't he have a right to tell me what rules I must follow if I want to use what He has given me?  (in case you are not sure, the answer is YES)

Jesus said that all of God's rules can be summed up into one: Love Him, with all of your Heart Soul Mind and Strength, and Love your neighbor as yourself.

But what does that look like? 

Jesus said, If you love me you will obey my commandments, and "a knew command I give you, love each other as I have loved you."

In 2nd John 6 we read "And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments"

And in 1st John 5:2 we read "by this we know that love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments." and vs. 3 "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments, and His commandments are not burdensome."

Whoa...  the greatest commandments is to love God, and the way I love God is to obey His commandments?  the 2nd greatest commandment is to love my neighbor as myself and to do that I must love God and observe His commandments. 

So... Rules, obedience?  Yuck, right?  Ummm, remember, 1st John 5:3b "His commandments are not burdensome"  But they feel like a burden sometimes right? I know I've thought, "I can't do what I want to do, because I have to follow God's rules..." 

There is a dilemma here, and it is one we'll be talking about all month at 24/7.