I think I know everything and I hate being told what to do. There’s a bit of that in all of us right? (Please say yes and make me feel a little better about myself, k?) 🙂
Jokes aside, the truth is there’s something in all of us that doesn’t like being told what to do and that thinks we know the best way all the time. It’s one of the many flaws we have to face about ourselves as human beings. It doesn’t only manifest itself in the way we relate to other people. It manifests itself in the way we relate to God.
“What right does God have to tell me what’s right or wrong? What’s true and what isn’t?”
How many times have you heard someone ask that question or asked it yourself? How many times have you heard someone who is not a Christian list that as a reason they feel they can’t believe in Jesus?
It’s an honest question we all need to wrestle with at some point. There’s no shame in that.
Maybe you’re not a Christian and the concept of God having standards for living is off-putting to you. Maybe you’re a Christian who is struggling to agree with God that certain commands of His are genuinely good and right. Maybe you’re a Christian who just needs encouragement to help you find more joy and value in God’s instructions in Scripture.
Wherever you find yourself in this, what if I told you that you can – and should be – grateful that God gives us instruction on how to live our lives? What if I told you that God’s commands were a gift to you, not a burden?
God’s commands are a gift to us, not a burden.Click To Tweet
The writer of Psalm 119 in the Bible grasped this truth.
Be good to your servant,
that I may live and obey Your word.
Open my eyes to see
the wonderful truths in your instructions.
I am only a foreigner in the land.
Don’t hide Your commands from me!
I am always overwhelmed
with a desire for Your regulations. (Psalm 119:17-20)
The psalmist realized that the commandments in God’s Word helped him navigate life on this earth. He realized that life, truth and instruction are found in God’s regulations for how we live.
It’s a good thing that God places guidelines and boundaries on our lives because we don’t know how to navigate life in this world on our own. We don’t know how to live in a way that pleases God. We don’t know how to live in a way that avoids the traps and pitfalls of our broken humanity and broken world.
We are strangers in this earth and we need the commandments of God to guide us. God’s instructions give us the direction we need for life.
We are strangers in this earth and we need the commandments of God to guide us.Click To Tweet
Here’s the thing: God does have the right to tell us how to live.
For one, we owe our existence to Him.
He created this world. He created you and me. He gives us the very life and breath that we have. (Acts 17:24-25)
Second, He knows how He designed the world and people to function.
God created a world of perfect righteousness and connection with Him. We broke this world with our sin and rebellion against God.
Our ancestors Adam and Eve lost the battle with the “I know better than God does” part of their humanity and passed that lovely family trait down to all of us. God knows how to recalibrate our thoughts, attitudes and actions so that we walk in His ways again. He saves us from our sin and makes us new when we put our faith in Jesus. He progressively transforms us through His Word and the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Don’t you want Him to teach you His truth?
Don’t you want Him to gently correct you when you are off course and bring you back onto His path that leads to life?
Don’t you want Him to give you wisdom for the challenges of life?
Don’t want you Him to give you boundaries that will spare you from the spiritual and practical consequences of sin?
Don’t you want Him to help you live in a way that pleases Him as your Creator and Savior and makes the testimony of your life shine brightly to point others to Him as well?
I know I do. I want God to do this in my life in the moments when I am freely trusting Him as the leader of my life and in the moments I stubbornly think I know better than He does.
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
Point out anything in me that offends you,
and lead me along the path of everlasting life. (Psalm 139:23-24)
As much as we think there is life, fulfillment and goodness to be found outside of the boundaries of God’s commands and principles, there is not. That mentality is a trap, but we can avoid it if we will humbly surrender ourselves to God’s leadership in our lives.
God created you, knows you inside and out and consistently fights for your best interest. You can trust Someone like that.
Your word is a lamp to guide my feet
and a light for my path. (Psalm 119:105)
May God help us to love and embrace His commands as the precious gift they are to us.
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip His people to do every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
Your Turn: Think of a biblical command you have struggled to agree with God that it is good or have struggled to follow. Spend some time talking with God and ask Him to help you see the value in it and to apply it to your life. Discuss this post in the comments below.
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