Have you ever had someone set expectations that you had difficulty following?

When I was younger, my parents would have me and my sisters do chores. We would make the bed, clean the bathroom, put our laundry in the hamper, etc. At first, we didn’t understand why this was important. Why were these expectations placed on us? After a few weeks of doing chores, a “chore chart” appeared. It was a huge chart in our kitchen and it was Disney themed. It was then that my parents shared with us the incentive to do the chores. We were told that we would begin tracking our chores each week and if we completed our goal by a set date, we would get to book a trip to Disney World. Talk about incentive! We were given a clear picture of what we needed to do to get to where we wanted to go. Was it hard and frustrating some days? Yes! But was it totally worth it when we got to book the Disney vacation? Double YES!

In these chapters, the Israelites receive a lot of commandments telling them how to live so God can take them where he wants them to go. At first glance, receiving these rules can be confusing and frustrating for God’s people. Is this God all about rules and not at all about fun? But if we look at the heart of God through what he does for his people, we begin to see what these rules and boundaries are all about. LOVE. He gives his people a foundation and common ground to stay united. He wants them to be set apart from other nations, to be the standard that all other nations follow. He wants them to live a rich and abundant life and it starts with these boundaries. These laws guide his people and bring justice, peace, and harmony to all.

As much as these laws can get confusing and intense, we have a good summary of them from Jesus…Love your God and love your neighbor.

Questions for reflection:

  1. What is a rule or boundary that was set in your life that you didn’t understand until later in life?
  2. How can we love others even when we don’t agree with the way they live their lives?
  3. How can you live out God’s Ten Commandments better in your day-to-day life?