Laws and Human beings

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I believe laws are meant for human beings, not the other way round.

I tend to think am a rebel. Most people who know me might doubt this but ask my wife, and maybe my high school friends. I once formed a party in high school to go against what I felt wasn’t serving in the best interest of the students. Long story short, the three of us faced the consequences of that and spent almost a whole academic term in punishment. We wanted students to be given a chance to pick their prefects but I guess it wasn’t the right time for that then. Now that’s the case in every secondary school. As it is, everything works in His best time. That’s a great hope to me. If a law isn’t enhancing performance or is standing on the way of achieving an intended common goal or is leading to ineffectiveness, then that law needs to be reevaluated and if necessary changed or scrapped off. Sabbath is meant for human not human for Sabbath.

But again human beings, though well-meaning, can occasionally abuse something if no laws are there to guard it. Hence we need to be wise, flexible and practical. We should not find ourselves being an obstacle to an intended well-meaning goal. A law is as good as it can facilitate us from point A to B. We shouldn’t be prisoners of law but we should be free of it.

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As a follower of Jesus, how we live our lives should not be based on some laws. We should not just do something because the laws state so or fail to do it for the same reason, but we should follow the conviction based on the teachings of Jesus. Our lives should mirror the values and principles as Jesus taught them and continues to reveal them to us. Occasionally, we may fall on the wrong side of the law but that doesn’t mean that we should not trust God to walk us through the situation. I have seen followers of Jesus do something because police are there or fail to do it because there are no police. This should not be the case. Whether police are there or not, the fact that you are a follower of Jesus doesn’t change because you have no one watching. We love to look for the easy way out, whether it means paying a bribe or breaking a law. Who said it has to be easy?

To whom much is given, much is required and from him to whom much is entrusted, more will be demanded. We can no longer operate as if we don’t know the one who has promised to be with us all through the way. We have high rates of corruption, crime, social injustice etc in our country not because we don’t have laws but because we don’t have the will to live out what Jesus calls us to. It doesn’t really matter how much you know, but how you live it out is what matters. Information transfer doesn’t necessarily lead to transformation. The little you know, what impact has it had on you. Has it led to your personal journey of transformation or are you just looking to have volumes and volumes of information? We attend conferences and seminars so we become better, but we still face the same challenges over and over. How have you taken time to really liberate yourself and live the life you are called to live? How are you living a life worth your calling?

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We are made in the image of God and so we need to be like him. We are His ambassadors and what we do should represent him. Loving God and loving neighbor is a great way to live out your calling. Acting in the long-term best interest of your neighbor is above the laws of this land. How do you do this and make it your lifestyle? Always acting in the long-term best interest of others. You don’t need a law to do this; you just need to commit to loving God and loving neighbor. Whether you are on the roads, in public, at work, in school or at home, how are you living this out? You can’t do this by your own effort; you need to ask the source to guide you and continually remind you; to give you a clear conscience so you don’t fall back or should you fall back, to help you to rise back up. It’s not the fact that you have fallen, but that you are able to rise back up again better and stronger. Rising up, having learned your lessons in life to move on liberated.

If this resonates with you, reflect on why you interact with the laws. Look for a small community of friends who you can do this together with… Being accountable to a few and practicing with a few. It’s about building a community of friends to share each other’s journey in following Jesus.  You have to be deeply committed to each other and desire to see each other grow in this journey. You have to create a support, encouragement and accountability platform for each other. The community has to be a small as possible so that there is active engagement by all involved.

Find a community around you and see if these conversations make sense to you…

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By Gabriel Odhiambo Achayo.