No rules, just right

Imagine no rules. You do whatever you want whenever you want without consequences. Would that change what you do and how you act? Where there be bad or would the world be good? This slogan from a favorite restaurants of mine, Outback Steakhouse (Cheese fries + bloomin onion burger without sauce = heaven on earth). It makes you feel good, no rules just right. I am sure they thought this was a good slogan just as long as it wasn’t true as the bill hit the table.

If rules would continue to be added, that wouldn’t be fun would it? We are a people, a work in progress. God throughout history kept added to rules because people weren’t doing good things. Paul explains this in Romans 5:20-21…

“The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

God increase rules so people would sin more? Yes. It’s like a new rule in football made to protect people. Clothesline tackles were legal at one point but after seeing the damaged that it caused, they disallowed it. God did the same way, imagine rules that are here now and imagine what if they didn’t exist. Think of the sexual nature with relatives, I am glad rules were created to not allow that (Sorry Kentucky). If you wonder the world without rules and everyone had unlimited freedom look at the book of Judges in the Bible. Everyone could do what they wanted and the results were horrifying bad. Rape was prevalent among other things, there was no God so everyone did what pleased them. It was messed up. Rules are there for a reason.

Just like God gave us rules to follow, he gave us grace. There are rules to show we are human and there are rules to show we need God. We all sin, all make mistakes, I am no different and am a sinner. Yet through our mistakes it shows how amazing God is. He gave us (Not just for me, for everyone) Jesus, the only perfect person to die for all our mistakes.

You don’t have to live in guilt. Rules are there, we break the rules and we can still seek forgiveness when we call on the name of Jesus. No other person can offer the type of forgiveness that Jesus offers. Are you ready for that forgiveness? Jesus is there for you and no matter how much you mess up, you get that second chance. Enjoy the life that Jesus gave to you, you will mess up but you are given a second chance. There are rules, but you can still live right.

Have a great day.

Rejection

Life can be full of rejection.

I was a good student in high school.

I stress good not great.

I left high school with a 3.1 GPA.

I wanted to go to Michigan State, Central Michigan or Western Michigan.

I was a realist and knew that most likely I would start out at Lansing Community College because of cost.

Between my extra curricular activities (Captain of two sports teams, student council member for four years etc) and grades I thought I was good.

One thing kept me from this, the ACT.

I am an awful test taker.

While taking the ACT they give a two minute warning for each section, I would only have 1/3 of the questions answered by then.

The result was a 15 then a 16 on the retake (The ACT is on a scale of 36).

That led to a lot of rejection from schools.

MSU rejected me along with CMU and the only university that would accept me is Western Michigan.

Weak.

Rejection is never fun, but what do you do when you’re rejected?

Do you try to improve or succumb to the pressure?

I went to LCC and originally struggled as they found out I had ADD/ADHD and soon improved afterward.

I graduated with my undergrad with a GPA of 3.6 later that improved to a 3.9 with my master’s.

It’s not easy, but improving off rejection is tough and awesome.

Part of dealing with rejection is do you believe what you are going for?

Are you willing to work through what you could get rejected for?

Paul’s life was about to be summed up for what he was about to face.

He was about to face a huge opposition and he was warned of what was ahead of him.

Acts 21:10-11…

“After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.  Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.”

People were in tears over hearing what was going to happen to Paul.

Paul responded stating why weep and break my heart? He was willing to be bound and also to die for the name of Jesus.

He didn’t care about the dismissal of others.

He knew what he stood for.

Paul wasn’t afraid of the rejection that could and would take place.

Paul’s faith in Jesus was stronger than any opposition.

Jesus is someone I would die for.

In life, what do you stand for?

Who do you represent?

Are you willing to die for a willing cause?
We will all face rejection.

How do you respond to rejection?

The response to rejection shows what you are truly made of.

Don’t let rejection own you.

I might be rejected for Jesus and a biblical worldwiew yet I stand for it.

Paul stood and face great punishment for Jesus.

What are you going to do when faced with rejection?

Have a great day.