Rules

Recently in my small group Bible study, there was a brief discussion that poked a thorn in my side. I've not been able to remove it. It's the thorn regarding rules and raising kids.

There is a terrifying scenario that all parents fear: that somehow we'll do our best with our kids only to see them snap themselves off our vine and go about in some wild, rebellious tantrum of living, totally turning their back on the way we brought them up. So, we walk a balance beam in our parenting that is sort of like trying to maintain perfect tension between our appropriated rules and their freedom. We want them to behave but we're afraid of restricting them too much lest they rebel altogether.

Are these fears justified? Maybe. There are plenty of stories that we or our friends or a movie are willing to tell about wherein the parents had too many rules and the kid, once he got off to college, just completely rebelled and went crazy wild living with drinking, sex, etc.... the explanation is always that their parents were just too strict. "A-Ha!" we say, "There were just too many rules."

My question today is what if God took this approach with us? Aren't we supposed to parent like the Perfect One parents us? Does God wring His giant hands in heaven as He watches his offspring run off in all manner of wild living and rebellion against His rules? Of course He doesn't. In the very beginning, God gave a "you may eat" and a "you may not eat" rule. And it was very strict, either Adam would obey it or die. God didn't seem concerned over Adam's feelings or self-esteem, either. Obey or die. That's it.

So I'm not afraid. I have rules for my sons and I will demand their obedience. After all, I am their parent, and if I can't teach them to obey me how can I expect they would ever obey God?

Balance?

My pursuit of God has been shamefully weak and woefully sporadic. There have been many sins and much hypocrisy along the way. In the past 5 years, however, God has done a merciful new thing and called me into a deeper walk with Him. This new thing has caused a natural upheaval in my everyday life, for when you come into closer community with your creator, the things of this world grow strangely dim. The things that once held such brilliance in color have taken on a grayer hue. I am saddened by this, but on closer analysis, I recognize that this change in view is because of a perspective change. I have begun to see that these things are temporary and will one day very soon pass away. So, it seems more and more foolish to give my heart and my allegiance to the temporary.

Recently, I was challenged about my priorities by some dear friends that I love. Some of their analysis was dead on right. But some of their analysis called out my need for greater balance. My pursuit of God has got me tilted and shifted from the way I used to be, think and act. I'm different. They see chasms opening in some of my relationships, even with other professing Christians. The problem is, I DON'T KNOW HOW. I used to compartmentalize my faith, but now it's all-consuming. Everything I think about the past, present and future regarding EVERY aspect of life itself is fueled and given understanding in the light and revelation of God and His Word.

So, the question is - do I need more "balance"? I'm considering Deuteronomy 6:4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."

Where is God requiring "balance" here? He wants it all. All of me. All of my mothering. All of my wife-ing. All of my friend-ing. All of my working. All of my volunteering. Everything. How can I and should I even dare to upset that apple cart of His consumption of me? Do I really need more balance? Really?

What's in my heart?

It's interesting to me that neither Jesus nor the apostles ever spent time trying to teach Christians how to "evangelize" anyone. At some point in many a Christian's life there is a moment that arrives in which he realizes he has no "fruit". He's told in a devotional or Sunday School class or from the pulpit that this is part of being a Christian, so he takes inventory of his fruit and recognizes that basket is empty. Some people, even after 40 years of claiming Christ to be their savior and Lord have never, not once, faithfully shared their faith. So, maybe they sign up for a class on evangelism or they read through some material or a book or maybe they make an appointment with someone they know who shares their faith regularly to glean the secrets and methodology for winning a soul to Jesus. The box must get checked. The basket must not remain empty!!!

This morning I was reading Matthew 19 and this subject came up again. Jesus is approached by a wealthy man who asks the most amazing question - how can I get to heaven? Imagine that - he has just asked His creator how to spend eternity with him. but Jesus' answer wasn't textbook, in fact, it was a little disappointing and anti-climactic. Maybe Jesus didn't take the "Just Walk Across the Room" study. He didn't attempt to build a deep friendship, but rather offended the man by telling him his biggest problem - his sinful pride of possessions. For salvation to be real there is a price - make God first in your life. God not only doesn't want our scraps, He demands to be first. The Lord of heaven and earth and everything in it has told us that following him in true repentance will have a cost - our very life will be required of us. We must give up ourselves to follow Him. Notice that He didn't beg this rich guy to change his mind. I wonder what that man went away thinking about. Did he lay awake in bed thinking he'd like to be saved but then continue to stay away, knowing what the cost would be? I wonder.

The discernment that Jesus exercised that day was profound, but He gave us the same opportunity when He left us the Holy Spirit. Will I depend on Him for passion to speak boldly?

Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. The passionate church since the beginning has shared its faith without pause, without reservation and sometimes to its detriment (in the flesh anyway). They took no classes. They needed no formula. Why do I? Maybe it's not in my heart.....