Rule Follower

If you don't know me or don't know me very well, let me give you a little information about me; I am a rule follower. I am not really one to blaze a new trail, to go against authority or blatantly rebel (at least not publicly). Parents, teachers, and governments seem to really like the people they have authority over to be rule followers. Churches like rule followers too and unfortunately that can often get in the way of truly pointing people to Jesus.

I have been personally feeling convicted by this tendency in my life lately. Through our current series in Galatians, my personal time in Romans and a look at a couple of parables that Jesus told, I have seen in myself a tendency to focus on my rule following as an indication of my spiritual health. Now don't get me wrong there is some validity in that as if we are truly following Jesus, we will have good fruit or evidence of that. The problem lies in seeing the rule following as the means of our value or merit instead of the grace of God. Take a look at Luke 18:9-14 for an example of what I am talking about.

I don't like to compare myself to the Pharisees (the religious people of Jesus' time) but the truth is that sometimes my rule following leads me to think of myself as better than others or at least further along. Churches are good at this too. How often have you heard people say that they need to get their life straightened out and then they will go to church. Or, how often have you felt or seen a church give the impression that they have "arrived" and you are welcome to come as long as you have "arrived" too. The truth is that I am just like the tax collector in Luke 18, I am in need of God's grace and mercy. If you see or feel this attitude from me and/or from Crosswater, please let us know. Fact is, we are all sinners saved by grace.