“No Rules, Just Right”

Courtroom visits are sad.  Especially when you see a good boy, who was raised in a good home and a good church, who has made some very bad decisions.  You can’t pass over the consequences, or remove his responsibility, even though you grieve for him and his family.

  It is hard, raising kids.  When they are little, we can just give them rules to follow.  “Don’t play in the street;  don’t hit your sister…”  As we teach them about God, we stress obedience, and doing what God requires.  “Don’t tell lies;  don’t steal;  don’t swear…”  Rules, however, only reach as far as Daddy’s arm.  It’s OK, if you don’t get caught.  Big kids/adults need more than rules.

Sometimes our faith gets stuck at that childhood level of obeying the rules.  A “good Christian” is one who does good.  Hey, that’s better than doing bad!  The problem is, Jesus didn’t pay much attention to rules.  He always did what was right, but not because of rules.  Put simply, Jesus walked in harmony with the Father.  Right actions flowed from a heart that was right with God.

Jesus defines a “good Christian” as one who is in tune with Him.  One who cares about the things He cares about.  One who would do nothing to displease or dishonor Him.  One who finds joy just in spending time with Him.  The Christian life is – Christ in me.

I don’t understand it.  Rules would seem simpler.  On the other hand, seeing what we humans do with tax rules shows that it’s not that simple;  we’re always looking for a loophole!  God would rather have our heart first, then our behavior.

This is the beginning of the season of Lent in the church, when we consider again what does it mean to be a Christian.  You’ve heard the commercial, “No Rules, Just Right.”  A heart that is right with God does right without rules.  Let’s consider Jesus, heart to heart.  Take time to read the Gospels, and talk to the Author.  Do some fine-tuning, to be locked into His wavelength.  Christ in you.  When Christ is in our thoughts and attitudes, it will show in our actions