Speaking the Truth

We don’t like to speak the truth about evil because we’re going to hurt somebody. Let me tell you, you are going to hurt somebody, but that Somebody is God. If you would rather hurt God than your neighbor, there is something wrong with your spirituality. It’s your obligation to speak the truth and everyone can either take it or leave it. But truth must be in us. We live in such poverty of the truth today.
- Mother Angelica

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Overcoming Rules as a Barrier

You disregard God's commandment but cling to human tradition. Mark 7:8

Boy am I learning a lot by reading the Bible... go figure.

Anyway, Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees here. They were concerned because some of His apostles had not washed their hands before eating. This disturbed them very much because it was a tradition of the elders. So Jesus basically told them that they should be more worried about what God commands, instead of what human beings command.

Rules generally keep order in our society, don't they? But what happens when there are too many? What happens to us when we start making rules that are petty? I know for me I feel like I want to rebel more because I'm feeling controlled. Something comes to mind from a recent conversation I had with a friend: Make sure you pass a bicyclist with 3 feet of space. There is an effort around here to make that a LAW. I believe in rules and laws, but there are also things that we as human beings need to use our best judgment on and we need to keep God's rules first.

So how are you going to honor His rules today? What rules are you following that are human, and perhaps against God's?

Lord, Your commandments are the most important to me. Help me to follow these throughout my day.

1 comment:

Karen said...

Is anyone else relating this to abortion?? Isn't abortion a man-made law? Isn't it humans that deemed this murder "our right" and "our choice??" I get angry about it, but I also get sad. I read a bumper sticker yesterday that said "God Bless America." I'm not so sure He is blessing us. We are choosing the wrong paths as a nation. We are forgetting about His rules and His laws. We are dismissing His commandments. I just don't see how He can bless a nation that has forgotten Him.