Luke 10:25-26–And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?“

As many rules, principles, and guidelines you lay down as a parent, teacher, coach, etc. you always run into the issue of clarity.  There is what you say, and how people interpret what you say.  It is very possible to have clear guidelines in what to do and what not to do, but we end up interpreting what we want to hear, to do or get what we want…

It really becomes a way to disobey authority, and not submit our interpretation to what is clearly given for us to do.  Just think about the things we disobey God in? It usually isn’t because we don’t know what we should do, but it is because we have justified doing things our way.  It’s rebellion to authority, wanting to control rather than be subjected to His rule.

This is why the Word can be preached, taught, and read religiously without any real growth happening in our lives.  Because it all depends on how we read the Word we see, or hear the Word that is taught.  Putting our own interpretation on the Word, disarms it from any authority over our lives.  So we can remain comfortable with a lot of knowledge, but no real fruit or deeds to affirm the Word we hear…

Jesus challenged this lawyer, who lived to interpret the Law, but interpreted it in order to remain comfortable.  Meanwhile, Jesus meant for the Law to direct his heart to love as He intended, not to be comfortable.  Fight against your own justifications not to obey. We are all naturally comfortable with our justifications, but we make little difference in the world in comfort.

In His Love, Ld