Rules To Live By

We had an interesting discussion about rules in our weekly gathering on Sunday. As the oldest member of the church (which is a people and not bricks), I often fall into a role by default of the elder. Hopefully with age has come some wisdom. Not because I am so smart but because I have made and make a lot of mistakes--and by God's grace have learned some lessons along the way.

One thing that is common in our culture is a discarding of rules. In a Post-Modern Age, it is fashionable to treat Truth as subjective and in a way it is. We all look at things differently but that does not mean what we are looking at is actually different, just how we look at it. Our own particular angle as it were.

As I was thinking about rules, what came to mind is a ruler. How would society function if we all had different rulers? That is, no common way of measuring something measurable like distance, weight, monetary, etc.? Physical or Fiscal realities are easier to form common agreement on, once we delve into the moral and ethical then things get considerably more difficult to discern. Yet, just because the rules are more complex, does not mean they don't exist.

There are moral laws, i.e. The Ten Commandments. God's revelation to mankind. Jesus stated that He did not come into the world to abolish the Law but to fulfill it. That really needs to stop us in our tracks. And in fact, that is what the Law is intended to do. To arrest us, to have us raise up our arms in surrender, and to admit guilt. Grace comes after the conviction of wrong-doing, not the erasing of wrong and right to start with.

There are principles that can sound like rules and restrictive, but actually are quite freeing. One of the paradoxes of life is that living without rules is another word for a lack of coherence. The skeleton is the structural basis of the body. Without it, we would be jellyfish just floating along the tides and seas.

Here are some rules that I have developed over time that actually are quite freeing:

- Taking Sundays off. Most evangelical churches are a frenzy of activity on Sunday. That is, the one day that God has appointed for rest becomes just one more To-Do List of Religion. Most pastors of course work on Sundays and should Sabbath on another day. Laypeople however should be careful about burning the sacramental candles to nubs. It is permissible to say "No" but don't be a jerk about it. Acts of healing are in the spirit of the Sabbath so there are reasons to serve and work. Yet, I wonder if we would be all a lot better off if we dropped all of the production and made our Sunday Services a lot more simple, less jammed with activity, and more spiritual.

- Put things back where they belong. It is easy to not recall where things are left. Better to return items back to their place of origin. A great deal of lost energy and activity is due to an intrinsic lack of organization. You want to see someone tyrannized, watch the person who has no way of staying on top of details and tasks. An organizational system should have stability and flexibility. Life has a way of throwing the unexpected our way, all the more reason to have a grasp of where things are, where things stand, and what needs to be done.

- Learning to say 'No" to the good in order to say "Yes" to the best. I have discerned that my calling in life is primarily to assist adolescents figure out their life's path to the degree that is possible. I feel this is God's vocation for me. It is where I can and do make the most difference daily. My first priority after God is to my job where they pay me. Integrity dictates that I protect this calling with vigilance. I don't expect others' to get this. It is not really my duty to explain this to anyone or anybody. After my primary vocation, other additional duties should align with this primary calling. I know that this can be misused by many to not help out and avoid less glamorous duties like scrubbing toilets and the like, so a high degree of introspection is needed on this one.

- Moderation in things that can be easily abused. Alcohol is one arena in particular where I find a simple rule of "Two and Through" to be very helpful. Not because I always abide by it but it does give me a standard to evaluate if I am entering a slippery slide. I have found, and am finding, that two beers, is a pretty good place to stand. Going into an event or occasion with that in mind, allows me to be mindful of the evening and to slow down and enjoy. I am finding that sometimes it is even easier to avoid drinking altogether because it is very freeing at times to not have to weigh how much is too much and when I should stop.

- Pay off all debts monthly. Our government models extremely poor fiduciary responsibility. Being perpetually a borrower indicates something is seriously amiss in the system. Debt is a warning sign that a country, an institution, a family, or an individual needs to make wiser choices. Compound interest is like a shark and it is very difficult to outswim. Our democracy is self-destructing on corporate giveaways and social programs funded by taxes. We are well on our way to becoming a nation of 21st century Serfs ruled by Plutocrats. And we did it to ourselves due to our lack of self-control and self-discipline.

- Avoid sugar and simple carbs. American obesity and health crisis is directly related to our consumption of high-calorie, high-carbohydrate food. Breakfast cereals, candy, soda, pastries, pastas, pizzas, grainless breads, are all high-profits for corporations. Here is the trap...the more that you eat such "food" the more your body craves it. The metabolic nature of our bodies and how such foods affect the appetite, creates cravings that are real and akin to the addiction cycle of drugs. I don't think the answer to this is government regulations. Better just to let the crap rot on the shelf, which will take years by the way, due to all of its denaturing and preservatives. It is quite possible to eat healthfully and cheaply.

- Be a reader of books that have stood the test of time. Avoid the television. Most television, commercial television, is allied with big corporate interests who want to get you habituated to using their products and such advertising uses very persuasive techniques and strategies to reinforce buying patterns. It takes a lot of willpower to not succumb to the messages. Avoidance altogether is the safest route. With other media, watch out carefully about what you are entertained by. Is it good, true, beautiful, and redemptive? Or just plain pathological? In order for art to have meaning, it should honestly explore the human condition. But, the swamp of media has a lot of moral malaria mosquitoes. We keep watching talented actors die and it should make us wonder seriously if their is a virus infecting the whole organism.

- Do something physical daily. I am not advocating craziness like the Insanity work-out plan where most people burn out. Instead, garden, really cook rather than chuck pre-made dinners in the microwave, pick up a guitar, a pen, or a paint brush. Actually mow your grass rather than ride the mower. Shovel your driveway rather than use the snow-blower. Go for a walk. Dance. Through the digital age, we are becoming dangerously divorced from the physical world. Get your hands dirty, sweat. Refuse to live in a virtual world like the "Boy in the Bubble."

Jesus taught us that the Sabbath was made for man and man was not made for the Sabbath. That almost sounds like a rule. A good rule. Learn to discern between good rules and bad rules. Don't let the lesser become the greater or the greater become the lesser. In all things, let love be the basic for what we think and do. If a rule, leads to freedom, it is a good one. If not, discard it.