My kids know that I was pretty strict when they were young, but they occasionally witnessed me breaking a rule. Something that seemed silly, like no pictures allowed in a museum exhibit, or going in the wrong door. Or speeding… and then getting a ticket. But in all of these cases, there was no real harm involved (other than having to pay the ticket).
Currently I’m a passenger in a car on the autobahn in Germany. The autobahn is Germany’s highway system, and many people think it’s a place with absolutely no speed limits. That’s not exactly true, but there are stretches between cities where there is no limit imposed for a relatively short time. Most people tend to drive the speed they are most comfortable with and it generally falls in a reasonable range due to other traffic, risk, and (expensive) fuel consumption exacerbated by speeding up and slowing quickly. Plus, there are the ever present speed trap cameras that are moved unpredictably. What limits would you impose on yourself, given the opportunity to drive, or live, without limits?
We have always had a life filled with rules, so how do you decide which to break or bend? I used to tell my kids, rules are like the curbs on the street, or the rumble strip on the highway, they are in place to keep you awake and safe. Even the Bible gives us rules to follow, not only the Ten Big Ones, but all kinds of other rules for daily living are seeded throughout. Isaiah calls these the cornerstones. If you have a good strong cornerstone, something solid that you can depend on, you don’t need to panic or wonder if you are doing the right thing. In the autobahn of life, choose your limits to get there safely, but still allow for reasonable fun and excitement!
“See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation, the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic.“
–Isaiah 28:16
