Embracing God's Guardrails

"You're no fun anymore!"

I remember hearing this from multiple people when I came back from my first semester of college. As I graduated high school and entered school, I rededicated my life to Christ. I changed. The way I held myself, how I interacted with others, my dialogue, and who I was became radically transformed from the inside out. Yet, many people who knew me in high school didn't like this "new" Jordyn because I wasn't "fun" anymore. In their minds, Christianity was just a silly set of rules meant to ruin the fun in life. To them, a Christian was like that one kid in class who told the teacher they forgot to pass out the homework.

In the serious moments with those people, there was one glaring issue that stuck out to me. They couldn't understand what made sin "bad". Of course, if you don't believe in God or the punishment for sin, it would make sense why this would be a hard concept to grasp. God does not give us rules and commands because he wants our lives to be boring and miserable. Rather, he gives rules to protect us. When I was younger, my parents gave me a rule that I was to never get in the car with someone I didn't know. They'd say, "If they show up with candy or puppies, don't get in". In my little 5-year-old brain, it would be really easy for me to assume they were trying to keep me from the joy of the candy and puppies. Yet, we all know that my parents actually gave me that rule to keep me safe from the dangers of the world.

So, let's take a deeper dive into what makes sin bad. Ultimately, sin can be defined as rebellion against God and His design for life. Every single sin has consequences. We may only see one, but God sees them all. Sin often has 3 major consequences: it destroys the relationship with ourselves, with others, and with God. How do we destroy our relationship with self? Well, God has designed each of us in His image, so the more we become infected with sin, the farther we stray from God's original design. In addition, sin allows entry for the enemy to come and pollute our hearts. Next, we destroy our relationships with others because most sins come from a "me first" mentality. Just as one sin can hurt somebody, that wound can hurt someone else and the ripple effect continues. We see this all the time in families. When one child is abused by a parent, they often turn into an abusive partner or parent, then those kids become what their parents were and on and on it goes. One sin can end up hurting generations down the line. Finally, sin destroys our relationship with God. When we give into sin, we stray farther away from our Maker. Whether we have a relationship with God, He has a relationship with us. He is like a protective father who loves His children and has concerns for their eternal life. Just as my parents told me not to get into the car with strangers, they feared for my life because they loved me. They weren't trying to keep things from me. God calls us to a holy standard of living because He knows it is the best thing for us.

Let's break down a few prevalent sins to truly understand what makes them wrong. First, let's talk about substances. Getting drunk or doing drugs can be a tool for the enemy to weaken the minds of people. Evil spirits can easily control or possess a person when they are under the influence. This is a big reason that people under the influence of alcohol or drugs don't remember saying or doing vial things. When we are under the influence of substances, we can make ourselves easy targets for the enemy and his army. In addition, the Bible commands us to not allow our bodies to be overtaken or "mastered" by anything (1 Corinthians 6:12, Galatians 5:19-21). Alcohol and other substances can prove to be very addictive which can lead to idolization. Our bodies are a temple before God, and we should treat them as such (1 Corinthians 6:19).

Another big sin I've talked about is gossip (you can read more here). Gossip is said to be the opposite of the Gospel because the Gospel is love. When we gossip, we are ultimately targeting someone else's sin or shame. This causes division and broken relationships which can have a domino effect, as I mentioned above. In addition, the sin of judgment goes hand and hand with gossip. Judgment is a sin because it fills us with pride and devalues another. It can harden our hearts and prevent us from showing love (Deuteronomy 1:17, John 8:15-16).

God's rules and commands were never meant to be a controlling factor over you, but rather something that benefits your future. We tend to think that God gave Moses the 10 Commandments in Exodus 20 as a way for the people to please God. Yet, it is something much deeper than that. The 10 Commandments aren't just a list of rules to abide by, they are a description of God's character. God was saying in those commands "There are no other gods besides me, I do not covet, I do not steal...". All the rules God has established in His word are ways that we can draw closer to Him. God's commands are meant to keep you full of Him rather than full of this world.

I once heard someone say that there are two ways to look at a fence. One perspective says that you are trapped inside of it, while the other perspective says you are safe in it. Boundaries are good because they keep us safe. God gave us boundaries because they are good for us. Jesus tells us to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." in Matthew 22:37. He knew that nothing could satisfy your heart the way that God could. Why? Because He made you. Therefore, His rules and commandments are put in place to help you thrive and flourish in Him the way you were designed to. God gives us rules because He loves us, and He wants us to live forever in eternity with Him. So much so that He sent His one and only son to die on the cross to pay for your sins. God’s character is written in His commands, and when we realize that we start to love Him more for them.

May your roots run deep, and your faith remain strong! As always, Stay Rooted, my friends! <3