By Rhonda Stinson
Helga pulled up to the 4-way stop sign, stopped, and continued down the street. She gave no thought as to why that sign was put there, but simply went through the motions of this daily driving task. Stop, look in every direction, go.
Helga never questioned why these signs were placed where they stood or who was responsible for putting them there. Stopping became such a monotonous task that she began stopping quickly and then proceeding without looking in every direction. This act soon led to an accident that was Helga’s fault. Though she obeyed the stop sign, she didn’t follow through with the unwritten law of “look both ways before proceeding”.
Do you ever think about the laws God put in place for us? Why? What do God’s laws say about Him? Do you obey out of fear of punishment? Do you obey “just because?” Do you obey because you want to look good in front of others? There are many reasons we choose to obey God’s laws, but the main one should be because we love God.
When we direct our main focus from following rules to God Himself, we discover His character and His will. The Pharisees were a well-known group of rule-followers. They made God’s rules constrictive and also added to them. Their lives were full of bitterness, hostility, blame-games, judgment, unforgiveness, and cruelty. These are antonyms of fruits of the Spirit.
The Pharisees were so rule-oriented that they became slaves to their rules and desired that everyone else follow them. God’s rules are there to help us live in freedom and joy. “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:29-30).
If you obey and never think about why you’re being obedient or why God has given certain rules, then you are apt to become bitter or complacent about rule-following. As we grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, we will be like a flourishing tree. We can’t feel ourselves growing, but we can measure it.
Actually, we can apply Newton’s Third Law of Motion which states, “For every action in nature, there is an equal and opposite reaction”. This means that the more you put into knowing God, the more God will become known to you. Your faith and trust in him will grow and your delight will be to follow Him in all His ways.
As you begin this new year, challenge yourself to begin a deeper relationship with God. Spiritual growth should be a goal for every Christian. With so much trouble in our world, our families, and our lives, it’s easy to worry. “But seek for the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:33-34). Consider this verse your first stop sign. Think about it. Look at it from every direction. Why has God given this instruction? Try not to skim through verses like you’re slowly drifting through a stop sign. Instead, stop and think about it, enjoy it.
May your new year be filled with growth, freedom and joy!
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