The bookshelf in my office is full of books of rules: Employee Handbooks, Loan Policies, Compliance Manuals and volumes of Government Regulations. Employee handbooks to outline the wishes of management for employee conduct. Loan policies to enforce the wishes of the board of directors for risk tolerance. Compliance manuals to interpret the wishes of those who wrote the volumes of regulations! I am not a rules oriented person. I wish everyone would just do the right thing. Ironically, much of my career has found me in the role of the rule enforcer.
My goal is always to help an employee or a client understand the purpose of the rule, rather than simply demand adherence to the rule. I know it doesn’t always work out that way, but when it does I find I have an employee who is sync with the purpose of our work and capable of exercising judgment in carrying out their work. In short, an E2 employee.
The rules are important, but understanding the wishes of the ones who wrote the rules is critical to following the rules.
This brings us to our next component,
Faith + Goodness + Knowledge + Self-Control + Perseverance + Godliness + Kindness + love = Effective and Efficient Living.
Godliness is defined as conforming to the rules and wishes of God.
Scripture is full of rules. The Old Testament contains rules for seemingly everything under the sun, how to prepare sacrifices, how the priest were to dress, what to eat and not eat and of course the Ten Commandments. In our study, we’ve looked at list from the New Testament of things to participate in and things to avoid. There is no doubt there is a need for rules. However, it is critical that we understand the wishes of the one who wrote the rules.
Each time Jesus is asked for the most important rule, His answers consistently come down to two things, Love the Lord your God and love your neighbor. I think in these responses we find clues into the wishes of God. When we conform to his wishes, conformity to his rules is a natural result. If we love our neighbor, we won’t lie, cheat and steal from him.
It seems we often get confused and think conforming to his rules is his wish for us. This is nothing new. In Isaiah, chapter 58, the prophet is dealing with a similar problem with the children of Israel. (As you read this, remember our trick about substituting our name for Israel.)
“They come to the Temple every day and seem delighted to learn all about me. They act like a righteous nation that would never abandon the laws of its God. They ask me to take action on their behalf, pretending they want to be near me. ‘We have fasted before you!’ they say. ‘Why aren’t you impressed? We have been very hard on ourselves, and you don’t even notice it!’ ”
Don’t we sound this way sometimes! I’ve done everything right, God, and you don’t even notice it. Sounds a lot like an employee who thinks they merit a promotion or a raise because they showed up on time everyday and didn’t even use all their sick days! Here was the problem the Lord pointed out.
“It’s because you are fasting to please yourselves. Even while you fast, you keep oppressing your workers. What good is fasting when you keep on fighting and quarreling? This kind of fasting will never get you anywhere with me. You humble yourselves by going through the motions of penance, bowing your heads like reeds bending in the wind. Do you really think this will please the Lord? (Ouch!)
“No, this is the kind of fasting I want: Free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you. Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people. Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help.” ( Sounds a lot like, Love your neighbor!)
“Then your salvation will come like the dawn, and your wounds will quickly heal. Your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind. Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.
These verses draw a picture of what it means to love our neighbor. Lighten the load of others by offering assistance, support and encouragement. Free the oppressed and remove fears and addictions that bind people by showing them Jesus and offering forgiveness. Don’t be afraid to get involved. Be a reflection of the light! Help those in trouble and do not hide from them, even your relatives!
Living this way is how we help others to participate in the divine and avoid the corrupt. Your godliness (conformity to his wishes) will lead you forward and bring healing! Looking for direction in a situation? Act in conformity to his wishes.
I have an employee who has worked for me for several years. The longer she has worked with me the more we sound alike, write alike, and think alike. It is not that she has memorized all of the policies and regulations. It is that she understands the purpose of our work and she knows my wishes. She knows I hate all caps and prefer complete sentences to bulleted list. More importantly she knows that behind every financial statement we analyze there is a person. Because we are in sync, she is a “go to” person. One I trust completely to do the right thing, rules or no rules.
I want to be a “go to” person. One who knows and conforms to the wishes of the Father. One who can be trusted to do the right thing. In short, an E2 follower.
Thanks for listening,
See you next Sunday,
Ronda
Rescue the perishing, care for the dying,
Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave;
Weep o’er the erring one, lift up the fallen,
Tell them of Jesus, the mighty to save.
Rescue the perishing, care for the dying,
Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save.
Though they are slighting Him, still He is waiting,
Waiting the penitent child to receive;
Plead with them earnestly, plead with them gently;
He will forgive if they only believe.
Down in the human heart, crushed by the tempter,
Feelings lie buried that grace can restore;
Touched by a loving heart, wakened by kindness,
Chords that were broken will vibrate once more.
Scripture is full of rules. The Old Testament contains rules for seemingly everything under the sun, how to prepare sacrifices, how the priest were to dress, what to eat and not eat and of course the Ten Commandments. In our study, we’ve looked at list from the New Testament of things to participate in and things to avoid. There is no doubt there is a need for rules. However, it is critical that we understand the wishes of the one who wrote the rules.
Each time Jesus is asked for the most important rule, His answers consistently come down to two things, Love the Lord your God and love your neighbor. I think in these responses we find clues into the wishes of God. When we conform to his wishes, conformity to his rules is a natural result. If we love our neighbor, we won’t lie, cheat and steal from him.
It seems we often get confused and think conforming to his rules is his wish for us. This is nothing new. In Isaiah, chapter 58, the prophet is dealing with a similar problem with the children of Israel. (As you read this, remember our trick about substituting our name for Israel.)
“They come to the Temple every day and seem delighted to learn all about me. They act like a righteous nation that would never abandon the laws of its God. They ask me to take action on their behalf, pretending they want to be near me. ‘We have fasted before you!’ they say. ‘Why aren’t you impressed? We have been very hard on ourselves, and you don’t even notice it!’ ”
Don’t we sound this way sometimes! I’ve done everything right, God, and you don’t even notice it. Sounds a lot like an employee who thinks they merit a promotion or a raise because they showed up on time everyday and didn’t even use all their sick days! Here was the problem the Lord pointed out.
“It’s because you are fasting to please yourselves. Even while you fast, you keep oppressing your workers. What good is fasting when you keep on fighting and quarreling? This kind of fasting will never get you anywhere with me. You humble yourselves by going through the motions of penance, bowing your heads like reeds bending in the wind. Do you really think this will please the Lord? (Ouch!)
“No, this is the kind of fasting I want: Free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you. Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people. Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help.” ( Sounds a lot like, Love your neighbor!)
“Then your salvation will come like the dawn, and your wounds will quickly heal. Your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind. Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.
These verses draw a picture of what it means to love our neighbor. Lighten the load of others by offering assistance, support and encouragement. Free the oppressed and remove fears and addictions that bind people by showing them Jesus and offering forgiveness. Don’t be afraid to get involved. Be a reflection of the light! Help those in trouble and do not hide from them, even your relatives!
Living this way is how we help others to participate in the divine and avoid the corrupt. Your godliness (conformity to his wishes) will lead you forward and bring healing! Looking for direction in a situation? Act in conformity to his wishes.
I have an employee who has worked for me for several years. The longer she has worked with me the more we sound alike, write alike, and think alike. It is not that she has memorized all of the policies and regulations. It is that she understands the purpose of our work and she knows my wishes. She knows I hate all caps and prefer complete sentences to bulleted list. More importantly she knows that behind every financial statement we analyze there is a person. Because we are in sync, she is a “go to” person. One I trust completely to do the right thing, rules or no rules.
I want to be a “go to” person. One who knows and conforms to the wishes of the Father. One who can be trusted to do the right thing. In short, an E2 follower.
Thanks for listening,
See you next Sunday,
Ronda
When I was a Missionette one of the steps included learning about the hymns and the authors. Fannie Crosby was one of favorites. I think in this hymn is captured a glimpse of the wishes of God in this song.
Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave;
Weep o’er the erring one, lift up the fallen,
Tell them of Jesus, the mighty to save.
Rescue the perishing, care for the dying,
Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save.
Though they are slighting Him, still He is waiting,
Waiting the penitent child to receive;
Plead with them earnestly, plead with them gently;
He will forgive if they only believe.
Down in the human heart, crushed by the tempter,
Feelings lie buried that grace can restore;
Touched by a loving heart, wakened by kindness,
Chords that were broken will vibrate once more.
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