For a few days I didn’t feel inspired enough to write anything meaningful. So yesterday evening I went to church, with a burning need to get a loud and clear message from God…and there inspiration nearly knocked me off my feet.I sat there, observing the energy emanating from the people, the building, just everything. It was amazing; I had goose bumps from start to finish. The sermon was about embracing rules and discipline. At this point I can almost hear you grumbling. Bear with me, ok? :)
Let me rewind a tad. I have always been the responsible friend, to the extent that quite a few of my friends have mocked me about it. The term “rebel” and “rule breaker” have always been so much more alluring than “obedient follower” “careful” and “responsible”. This is something I never quite understood…until last night.
I truly had a 2 hour long eureka moment. In Exodus 20, God stipulates the 10 commandments. Here is the kicker: He laid down these commandments out of love, for we protect best what we value most. What is it that God values most? YOU, of course. The 10 commandments serve as a platform, for your freedom. Rules, freedom? Doesn’t seem right, does it? You can only be free once you embrace discipline and rules. You see, rules are there for a reason. Rules are there to not only protect us from our own devices and egos, but from others as well. Rules teach us responsibility; it gives you a strong backbone. Discipline and rules aren’t meant to cage you…it’s a warm blanket in the cold that is the world out there.
Rules build character; it shapes you as a person. For example, as a younger child, your parents most probably gave you a curfew, or forbade you to watch movies with an inappropriate age restriction. Let’s examine the why. Rules stem from a relationship, which is founded on love. Your parents would want you to be in the house at a certain time, to make sure you’re ok – to protect you from any foul goings on in the outside world. Your parents would forbid age restricted movies to protect your young, impressionable mind. Age restrictions are after all there for a reason. These are only two out of many examples. Are you still following? :)
To make you understand the necessity and importance, think of it like this. Without certain rules, you get shaped into a person who has no respect or regard for others. Not only is this a big moral slap in the face, but it also puts you on a very destructive road. For example: if you disregard the rules of your parents, it forms who you are. Who are you then? A rebel, a rule breaker. Such a person will disregard the rules of their peers (because hey, the world owes you, right?) This person will ultimately disregard the rules of an employer, a spouse and ultimately…the rules of a country, ending with probable jail time, a criminal record and a broken life. Sound extreme? Not really.
The preacher gave an example of such a behavioural pattern. He was in his office one day, when he received a phone call from a young (school attending) man, who got caught with credit card fraud. This same young man attended an entire course on discipline under the preacher. Fast forward to a few years later, and the preacher receives yet another phone call…this time from that young man’s mother. The message? Her son got caught in Europe, with fraud. He was staring a 12 year prison sentence in the face. Could this have been prevented? Absolutely. How? By applying strict rules and embracing them. Strict in the sense that every rule should encompass certain values, morals and standards. For example, if you want to instil respect for others, you put in place rules such as not putting others down, not swearing at them, gossiping about them, being condescending, doing unto them as you would have done unto you…etc.
Having high standards and solid moral values will ultimately lead to a high quality life. No, you cannot put a monetary value on it. Your thoughts and beliefs shape you…so if you believe and do negatively, how could you possibly expect anything positive. On the other hand, if you do good…and you have strong values, this will set the tone for your entire life. No matter what you choose to believe, the following will always, ALWAYS be true: You reap what you sow. If you sow good seed in fertile soil, you will reap a plentiful harvest. However, if you sow rocks, you cannot expect any kind of harvest.
When life throws you a curve ball…start asking yourself, what did I sow? I am here to tell you, that, if you didn’t sow good seed, you don’t deserve good. It is, unfortunately, that simple. If, however, you truly sow good seed, you are being purified through a challenging, fulfilling life. Now is the time to re-evaluate your life, your standards. Another example: if you do not respect and love yourself, you cannot expect others to love you. If you sell yourself short, you cannot expect others to put a high value on you.
Obey the rules, out of love, out of respect. Listen and internalize when your parents speak, no matter how old you are. Obey the rules drawn up by your employer. Respect and protect the moral code for interpersonal relationships. Keep in mind that how you act, what you do, what you say…tells people a whole lot about you. Every action, every word, shows who you really are. Also think of it this way – will you be proud to show your children (one day or right now if you have any) the person that you are right now? Would you want them to follow the example you are setting right now?
I am an obedient follower; I am responsible, because that is the quality of life that I choose to live. I am comfortable to accept responsibility, to grow as a person, to have a solid, unbreakable backbone. I love my God and out of love and respect, I honour His rules. I embrace discipline. This makes me lead a quality life, and in all honesty, I am proud to say that I set a good example. Therefore I am not ashamed to be mocked – I feel sorry for those who are not comfortable enough to embrace rules and playing by them, for you know not what you miss.
“There are two kinds of men who never amount to much: those who cannot do what they are told, and those who can do nothing else.” - Cyrus H. Curtis
No comments:
Post a Comment