Why are there so many rules? Everywhere we are there are rules that govern us. At home, school, work, church, sports and every other area of life there are rules upon rules. It is easy to gripe about rules in our lives. Rules can seem like a dirty 5-letter word.

I just started a series with our teenagers on the 10 Commandments. I like to think of them as the 10 rules to live your life by. In the weeks ahead I will explain more about how these old covenant laws are really applicable to us today. In preparation for this study I made a list of 10 Rules I am grateful for. I compiled this list from rules I heard from family and friends down the years:

1. Look both ways before you cross the street [mom]
2. Don’t eat yellow snow [Elf]
3. Don’t settle for less than best [Jr high trombone teacher]
4. Do turn off the lights before you leave the room [thanks dad]
5. Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian anymore than standing in a garage makes you a car [Mr. Huseby]
6. Men are from earth. Women are from earth. Deal with it.
7. If you don’t use it in 6 months, it’s junk.
8. Speak well of authority.
9. Do not check the sharpness of a knife by running your figure over the blade [Mike]
10. Do what’s right even when you don’t feel like doing it.