Don't Run With Scissors

"Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first..."                Revelations 2:4-5 
   
           I can remember when I first learned to hit a softball.   I was about seven years old.  My uncle was coaching me.   We stood in his dining room (yes his dining room) and he was instructing me on how to properly swing the bat.  My aunt just watched and shook her head... For what seemed like several weeks he would have me stand in the dining room and practice my stance, practice swinging the bat at an imaginary ball.   
           Can you imagine doing that in your mother's house?  I sure can't.  There were rules against that.  If it was fun - there was a rule against it...    at least that's how I remember it.  My mother did have a rule that there was to be no ball playing in the house.   Of course as a child you never understand the reasons for the rules.    You think  "why can't I run with scissors? I'll be careful. It won't happen to me..."  
            It's only now, as an adult, with my own home, that I realize the logic behind the rules. I had the opportunity recently to spend a lot of time with my young niece and nephew.  More time than I would normally spend with them, and I found myself turning into my mother.... all of a sudden I found myself enforcing rules.   I didn't want to.  But I felt it necessary to keep the kids from hurting themselves, each other and me.   The kicker was when my seven year old niece decided that she had bowled all she was going to so she threw the bowling ball overhand, across her lane into someone else's lane.  Yes, I did say overhand.  Well gosh, I kind of lost it there.  Especially when the manager of the bowling lane screamed and came rushing over.... But God was working.  He calmed me quickly.  I didn't yell.  God gave me the words, and I said them to my niece.  Whispered them in her little ear as I yanked her off the lane.   The manager saw this, calmed down and didn't throw us out.... my nephew was embarrassed but glad.   Rules are there for a reason.
         God has rules.   God wants us to follow those rules.   Those rules are there for a reason.  They are meant to protect us from hurting ourselves or others, and to protect us from being hurt by others.   Like all adults do, God has to enforce those rules.  We like children are not so good at following them.   
          But if you think I'm saying that works is important, you're not getting it.   While I think that God wants us to follow the rules, He has said that it's not about the works.  I kind of think that what God really cares about is our attitude toward the rules.  
          Jesus did not always follow the "rules".   He looked at the situation and did the right thing.  What do we do?  If I don't follow a rule, simply because I don't want to is that right? If I jaywalk because someone fell and got hurt directly across the street from me and I want to help them, is it wrong?  Did I break a "rule"? Sure.  Did breaking that "rule" disrespect God or did it honor Him?  I think that is an important question.  
          God should be our first love.  In my humble opinion, I believe that if we love God, we "should" want to do that which honors Him.  Doing what God has asked of us is a great way to show that we honor Him, but that is not everything.  Our attitude must also be honoring God.   If I do good works but do not do them with love then they are worthless works.  If I follow God's rules that is good, but it also could be considered worthless if our attitude toward what we are doing is not right.  But alas, we are human and as such we are not so good at the rule thing.   Much like children we try but we just can't seem to stay focused on what we should.  And much like children, we fail to do what God has asked of us.   If our attitude is right, if we are seeking to honor God but just can't seem to do it right, it might be a sign that we need to humble ourselves and ask God for some help here....    Paul spoke for me when he said that "he does that which he doesn't want to do and doesn't do that which he wants to do" (paraphrased).  Paul loved God.  Paul constantly sought to serve God with all of his heart, and yet he too failed at times.   But God stuck with Paul and continued to love him, and God will do the same for us when we fail.    
          When God is speaking to the town in Revelations He is telling them to get back on track.  I think that He is saying "hey, you had it right, but then you took your eyes off Me and turned them back on yourselves.  Slow down, come back and lets get back to the basics... or else...."  He is warning them of what will happen if they don't get their attitude toward Him back to how it should be.... We love God.  We try to do His will.  We need to stay focused.  With His help we can do it.  We CAN honor Him and try to follow His rules.  Acts aren't what it's all about but it IS a good way to show Honor toward God IF we can do it with the right "tude".   
          Dear Lord,  wow, I can't believe that I actually said that rules are there for a reason.  You know that I am not very good at following the rules, and at doing what You want me to.  You also know that I try.  I want to honor You in all that I do.  Please know that I want to do what's right.  Well usually I do.  Know that I am truly repentant for the times when I either don't want to follow the rules, or when I just can't seem to get it right.  Please continue to be patient with me and give me those nudges that keep me aimed in the right direction.  And thanks for being there with me to guide and teach me as I tried to help protect my special little ones.