Lie: God's Ways are Too Restrictive

We live in a "don't tell me what to do" society. It's "cool" to bend or negotiate rules or to assume that certain regulations don't apply to us. (Don't believe me? Drive around Phoenix for 15 minutes.)

Sadly, many Christian women apply this thinking to God's laws as well.

We have a less-than-ideal husband, so we don't submit like we should.

We like getting attention, so we wear not-so-modest clothing.

We have a hard time controlling our anger, so we sin in response to it.

We like feeling better than others, so we gossip.

We want instant gratification, so we don't save sex for marriage.

We care more about ourselves than others, so we don't help the widow and the orphan.

We don't rely on the Spirit for self control, so we eat/sleep/talk/(insert your favorite sin here) too much.

But the truth is, God's law is good for us. His precepts are fair and just. His rules are for our benefit. Think back to poor Eve. God gave her just one rule and she broke it. And her world was never the same.

While following God's commands can be difficult and fighting temptation so very hard- it's worth it. And we don't have to go at it alone. It's Christ's desire that we abstain from sin and the Spirit is here to help us. IF we humbly ask him to.

How have you believed this lie? What command have you been avoiding because it's "too restrictive?"

James 1:19-27

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

Listening and Doing

¹⁹ My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, ²⁰ for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. ²¹ Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

²² Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. ²³ Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴ and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ²⁵ But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

²⁶ If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. ²⁷ Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.