If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love.

John 15:10

Day 70: Rules

I want to share something I feel is very important.  During the last 3 years I have gained a deeper understanding of the importance of rules.  I have been teaching middle school music and chorus for the past 3 years and it has clarified my view of the Gospel. 

As I began this journey I was coming from having been largely in the adult world of music for many years.  I had been minister of music for 9 years at a congregation that was aging and in my assignment before that I had also been spending much of my time working primarily with an adult choir.

With an adult choir as with doing a workshop chorus you are much more focused on being engaging as opposed to being a police of behavior.  In the middle school arena I had to change my focus.  I know primarily had to create an environment of order so that learning could take place.  My adult choir members desired to make music and already had learned to control themselves.  My middle school choir members didn’t alll join for the love of singing.  Some came because they thought it would be easier than their alternative class option.

When asking for advice I was told that it was very important for me to establish rules.  After the rules were established than it was most important for me to establish consistency and fairness.  My students needed to know that I would do what I said and that I wouldn’t play favorites.

In current times people have moved away from valuing God’s rules.  Instead a flood light of attention has been given to His love and His grace.  Today I want to warn you.  God’s love isn’t lawless!!!  If God wanted to do away with rules or law he could have done so before making the sacrifice of sending His son Jesus.

Rules protect my students.  When they know I am consistent they start to feel safe.  We live in a lawless world and unfortunately, the church has become that way as well.  Wouldn’t it be amazing if people started to believe God for power to live right?  This wouldn’t give them salvation…for all have sinned and are in need of the Savior.  But it would make us more like our Father.  It would make our families stable.  It would make our communities and houses of worship  safer.

What would happen if we prayed for God to make us more like Him and grant us more of His presence instead of asking for more stuff?  Would the church than become as powerful as it was in the early days described in Acts?

I believe we have been tricked into thinking rules don’t matter—especially in the church.  Yes, we are saved by Grace through Faith.  But the classroom of life is a lot safer when we follow God’s instructions.