“For a command is a lamp, teaching is a light, and corrective discipline is the way to life.” – Proverbs 6:23

If you have ever been a parent, I’m sure you’ve had this experience: You lay down a rule and immediately your child begins asking questions to push the boundaries. They want to know how close they can get to the boundary without technically breaking the rule. “How long is too long?” “How late is too late?” “How much is too much?” You see, children see rules as something keeping them from having fun. A rule is bondage to them. This is childish and immature…but this is exactly how we often interact with our heavenly Father.

Proverbs 6:23 tells us that commands are not shackles, but lamps. Teaching is not restrictive, but enlightening. Discipline does not hold us back but gives us life. The laws God has laid out and the rules he has put in place are not there to keep us from enjoying life. They are there to illuminate what true, abundant life really looks like. We should not be looking for ways to get around God’s commands; we should be looking for ways to apply those truths to every area of our lives. Just as a parent sets rules so that their child would be safe and learn the best way to live, God gives us his commands to shed light on what the “good life” really looks like. So, I challenge you to stop looking at God’s commands as shackles and begin to see his law as a lamp that gives us a glimpse into the greatest life that we can live.

Heavenly Father, Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Show me what is good, perfect, and pleasing to You. Teach me to live the greatest life possible as I walk on this broken earth.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Shane Cannon