Rethinking Rules: God's Way to a Better Life

Everyone has experienced a moment where they have had to follow a stupid rule. Whether it was in a classroom with a teacher or a corporate policy at a job, it frustrates us because the rule doesn't feel like it benefits us. It makes us distrust rules. It makes us think that we can find a better way on our own. But God gives us rules, too, and his aren’t there for no reason; they are there to live life better.

God wants the best for us. Just like a parent disciplines kids that they love, God knows that when we disobey his rules, it hurts. There was a better way, and we chose to break the rule and look for a way on our own. This is one of the most important paradigm shifts in the life of a Christian, not to know every rule, but to know that sinning is exactly that – trying to choose our own path. Not too long ago, I read a passage in Isaiah that paints this picture so beautifully:

“This is what the Lord says – your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.

If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like waves of the sea.*”

Does that verse feel personal to you? It does to me. I can think of many times that if I had only done things the way God had commanded, my life would be so much better. It would have been as peaceful as a river, which may be what Isaiah was trying to share. Instead of focusing on what we do wrong, he might have been trying to show what we’re missing. The rules aren’t there to get you to stand in line the right way, they are there to show us the best life possible. By following God, even when it is inconvenient, we will have life as peaceful as a river, with righteousness like waves of the sea.

*Isaiah 48:17-18