I was having a conversation with a friend this past week about Christianity being a religion that is based on relationship instead of rule following and all of a sudden it hit me--why do we see those as necessary opposites? I mean, I get it--just following a bunch of rules for rules' sake isn't what it's about, however any good parent will tell you that there are rules because of the parent/child relationship. Love and Rules actually go hand in hand.
Psychologist will tell you that children thrive when they have boundaries and that rules help them feel safe. So it makes sense that if the God of the universe loves us and wants to be in relationship with us and adopt us into his family, then there would be rules involved. Do we get it right all the time? No. Does breaking one rule forever damn you? No. But are we expected to follow them... yes. And are there consequences to breaking them... yes. And are they for our good? YES!
Sure we may not understand all of them, but how many times have you heard a child arguing with a parent because he or she didn't understand the rule? And how many times have you heard a child say "that's not fair!" when in all actuality, the rule is very fair. Or unfair to the child's advantage? And how many times have you seen a child throw a temper tantrum as a parent enforced something that was for their own good?
Yes, there are parents who abuse rules and punishments, but God is a perfect parent, so he doesn't do that. He loves, and sets rules, and follows through with consequences perfectly. So whether or not we understand it all, we can trust him. He's a Good Father. ☺
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