Daily devotional, Jan 27, 2024
House rules
"Train up a child in the way he should go;even when he is old he will not depart from it."
Proverbs 22:6
As parents, we are the authors of house rules in each of our homes. There are rules that we enforce to ensure safety, then there are rules for peace, rules to ensure good health and wellness, and then rules to ensure good behavior towards others and success in the future.
The Ten Commandments can also be seen as a set of rules. Guidelines for living on Earth. Some may see it as easy to follow, while others may see it as way too stringent. Some do not have trouble following it to the letter, while others may want to omit following some of the rules.
However we may view it, what is important is that we realize that the Ten Commandments as well as all of Christian life rules are meant for everything to be well with us. In the Book of Exodus where it was introduced, as well as all its reiterations in the Bible, it is always impressed that the guidelines were meant for everything to be well with God’s chosen people:
"Be careful to obey all these words that I command you, that it may go well with you and with your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the sight of the LORD your God." Deuteronomy 12:28
As opposed to creating rules to stifle us and to control us, the Ten Commandments are meant to prevent us from experiencing the natural consequences of breaking these life rules. The natural consequences of breaking each or any of the commands go beyond the physical, as emotional hurts can ensue when we do not follow any of the commands.
For instance, imagine the gravity of the emotional burden of someone who just committed murder? Apart from getting punished by the society through imprisonment, the killer will likely suffer guilt, depression, among other mental issue for taking someone’s life, getting isolated from his loved ones and community, suffering shame and incurring a bad reputation.
God wants to protect us from those and so the rules are meant more for us to live well, and enjoy God’s blessings. As it is, even if we do not break these commands, we would still get to go through dark valleys as part of our life journey, and so making our lives more complicated by breaking commandments and suffering its natural consequences is not part of God’s design of our lives.
"For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness."
Hebrews 12:10
As parents, this truth should inspire us when crafting and improving our own family rules. Our rules should not be meant to power trip as head of the household, nor it is meant to get back on our parents for punishing us with strict house rules. Our house rules should be meant to ensure that our children will thrive physically, emotionally, and more importantly, spiritually.
"Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."
Ephesians 6:4
Our house rules should prepare our children to live God-honoring lives even without our stringent guidance and direction. That they will choose the path of Godliness even without us prompting them to do so.
"And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him"
1 John 2:3-4
We should carefully craft our house rules in such a way that our children will grow in Christlikeness, grow up loving the church, being with like-minded individuals and families, and upholding God-pleasing standards in their future career and personal lives.
We can start off by ensuring that they know and will abide by the Lord’s commands for the rest of their lives. That they know the value of following these guidelines, and we lead them by example. By doing so, they will get to make the most of their lives, and not miss out on God’s best plan for their lives.
“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:6-9
Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to ponder on Deuteronomy 7:9-16 to dig deeper on today’s topic.
Reflection Question: Do you need to fine tune your house rules so that it will be better aligned to God’s example of giving us commands for our own welfare?
Conversation with the Lord: Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for setting a good example for us in how to best parent our children. We praise and thank you for giving us commandments that ensure we could fully live and enjoy the good life you have planned for us. Please help us craft family rules that will honor you my Lord, and make my children grow in Christlikeness. Amen.