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?