This line came up during a discussion with a friend at a former workplace during a lunch break. We were sharing about our lives and she was talking about all the anxiety and fear she was experiencing. I asked if I could give her a New Testament Bible, sharing how the Bible really helped me, and she gladly accepted. However, she also made the above statement while saying she had tried various religions and they all seemed the same with all their do’s and don’ts and rules. I told her that yes, there are do’s and don’ts but that true Christianity is first of all about relationship.
I then used the example of the marriage relationship. That when you truly love your spouse, you want to spend time with them, converse with them, do things that bring pleasure to them and you do things that honor them and follow “rules” that will bring health and life to your relationship and that health in your relationship translates to bringing health and life to other relationships. And that you do these things, not just because you have to, but because you want to and you value that person and the relationship. You do it out of love.
I added that also, as a parent, she had rules and boundaries for her children. And that wasn’t because she wanted to be mean or make their lives difficult, but because she loved them and wanted them to walk in health and grow. She knew that these rules and “do’s and don’ts” were for their good. And that God wants the best for us, just like a loving spouse or parent.
D from Oregon (United States)