I have no athletic ability. At least that is my story. But sometimes my kids defy genetics and go out for lacrosse or tennis. Then I find myself on the sidelines, trying to cheer when our team makes a goal, not the opponent. I always feel a bit sluggish, trying to sort out the rules of the game and the score. Some sports inch along, one point at a time. Others capriciously leap by sixes or fifteens, and I am left wondering why.

The other people standing next to me usually know what is going on, and are willing to explain things like first downs and penalties. Apparently the rules are written down somewhere and at least the International Sporting Committee thinks they are consistent.

God has rules too. Apparently some people are confused by them, and get feisty when they are slammed with the consequences. They cannot always see a connection between their habit of lying, and people not trusting them. They may feel resentful when a tendency to murder people in their thoughts and words backfires.

 

The rules in hockey and basketball are made by humans, and reasonable as they are are not perfect. God's ten rules are perfect, and knowing them is a good step in the direction of following them.

My son used to play water polo and told me about devious players who broke rules under water where the referee could not see. They usually got away with it.

But when we break God's rules, there is no hiding. That is because the repercussions are not arbitrary, but cause and effect. When you choose contempt, your marriage erodes, and your integrity breaks. It is not a punishment, it is a result.

I am grateful that my kids were willing to listen to their coaches and play by the rules. They worked hard, and they grew.

I pray that I will always remember to listen to my Coach. He wants my marriage to win.

 

But unlike the lacrosse game, there is room at the end for shared victory.

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