I once heard the commandments of God described as the safe swim area at the beach. God, the lifeguard, says, as long as you are playing withing these bouys, I can keep you safe, but outside of them - well I can't get to you fast enough, the sharks are waiting, the riptide is pulling, etc. etc. The commandments of God are not constrictive, but, as counter-intuative as it may seem, give freedom. Freedom to roam knowing that God's got his watchful and loving eye upon you.
When I was in high school I made some extra cash refereeing under-6 soccer. I think I was there to keep the parents from killing each other, because, quite frankly, the kids didn't have a freaking clue what was going on. And because there were no real "rules" the game was no fun. Just a ball of arms and legs orbiting around a tiny soccer ball on a tiny field. It wasn't until the kids got older and could see the nuance, strategy, and freedom to play within the rules that the game got fun.
Today I give thanks for the commandments of God. I am grateful that they are, in fact, not burdensome, and I'll try to give up my own, often unspoken, commandments of others which only serve to frustrate and weigh down.
1 comment:
Great posts this week. Many thanks. I am feeling stretched too thin and these have been wonderful for getting me on track.
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