WHY DOES GOD HAVE SO MANY RULES?

You all have been putting in great questions into the Question Box

·         One that reads – why does God have so many rules?  I wonder if any of you feel the same. 

Now the question makes it sound like all God cares about is rules, or at least maybe that’s the way it feels.  And this questioner is right – God has laws about many many things. 

·         I think that most kids think that grownups make rules just to make kids miserable.  In fact, maybe you have pretended to be the boss with other kids, and I’ve seen kids do this time and again – the first thing they do as “boss” is to boss people around – they like the feeling of power to make someone else do what they want them to do.  That is NOT how God acts as boss.  What’s different about God and his laws is that God really isn’t interested in bossing people around or doing things to make him feel important.

·         God has laws because he is good, totally good and He cares about every part of life.  He cares about what happens in your family and how you treat one another in your family.  He cares that people are honest at work.  He cares that builders build houses that are safe. 

·         That’s why God says lying is bad, or hurting one another is bad, or why he tells moms and dads that they must love their children and care for them.  Do you as kids think it’s good that God tells moms and dads to love their kids?  God’s laws protect those who can’t protect themselves.

·         What if a mom said – I wish God didn’t have so many rules for me.  Why does God cares if I take care of my children  – why doesn’t he leave me alone? 

·         IA mom who doesn’t care for her children is a bad mom, right?  And when you’re a kid, you need lots of things that you can’t get – things like food or a place to live!  So God makes rules or laws about parents caring for their children  so that kids who can’t cook or care for themselves will be cared for.  God’s laws can be really good.

We’re looking at the 10 Commandments this spring in T&T.  These were 10 laws that God gave Moses after he had led his people out of slavery into Egypt.  Over and over, God said – I am giving you these laws to bless you and your children – to make your lives better and safer and to show you that I am a God who is good and loving.  My good laws show you how good I am.

As you get older, you probably see a bit more and more that some of the rules your mom and dad have for you aren’t to make your life miserable, but to help you have a better life! 

Can you think of a rule in your family that may have been hard to obey before but now you understand it better?

A family rule about bedtimes is there because we know that growing kids need lots of sleep to be healthy.  Maybe you are beginning to see the goodness of God’s laws too.

Today we are looking at #4 in God’s 10 commandments, and I think this commandment is one that is perhaps the hardest to see why it’s important to God.  Open your Bibles to Exodus 20 and we’ll read vv. 102 and then v. 8-11

Can someone tell us what this commandment says in their own words?

What

Why

A day of rest. – let’s think of it as a STOP and GO sign –

STOP -

When I was little, I thought that rest wasn’t something I wanted to do.  I would see adults sitting all day talking and think – HOW CAN THEY DO THAT?  I wanted to run and play.  I wasn’t interested in sitting all day – do you feel that way too?  I didn’t want anyone to tell me to STOP.  But is that what God is saying here?  Let’s think more about this.

Now none of you has a job, but I know some of you have lots and lots of things to do.  You have school and homework, you have lessons and special classes.  Some of you are busy all day every day and you get very tired.  Some of you have moms and dads who are always on the go.  And when people go and go and go, they get tired and sometimes kind of grouchy.  Maybe you notice this just when your family is on vacation and you find you laugh more and smile more.  So perhaps this commandment to STOP could help because God is saying – stop and rest  - you have to rest!  And resting is a gift!

It was a big surprise and kind of scary that God would tell his people to stop working – you may think you need to work every day so you have enough money, but I want you to STOP AND TRUST Me and believe that I will take care of you.  I want you to give me one day just to think about me.  Not to think about what you need but just for me.

Now let’s think about the GO of God’s #4 Commandment – God says that this special day isn’t just to be a vacation day, but a day to make God #1.  Can you think of a way most of us make God #1 on Sundays?

(going to church)

And God is so pleased when we come to church and learn about him and worship him.

And He is asking us to give even more of Sunday to him – he wants to bless you by giving you a day like this.  He made this day a holy day – a special day and if you seek to honor me, you will see that this commandment is a very good gift to you!

But what does this really mean – what is God inviting us to GO do?

·         Going to church

·         Free day from working

·         Go resting if you’re tired

·         Go and slow down and be with family and friends

·         Go enjoy the beautiful world God has made

·         Go outside if you work inside all week

·         Not a day to do everything you want but to make God #1

·         Go invite  people to come for a meal

·         Go visit people who are alone, or maybe grandma or grandpa

This is a hard commandment to keep today.  We are very, very busy people!  Lots of you have sports teams that have games or practices on Sunday.  Every store is open on Sundays.  When I was a little girl, just one or two stores were open Sundays, and so it was a different day.  That helped.

But maybe you can think of one way that you can make Sunday special – maybe it’s a “stop” thing or maybe  a “go” thing.  Either way, remember that God gives us this commandment to be a delight, not just one more rule to do!  It’s a good gift from God who loves you!.