Rules for a Reason

      There are rules in games for a reason! There are rules in school for a reason! There are rules in your home for a reason! There are rules in life for a reason! Have you ever stopped to think about it? Well, let's sort of break it down a little and see what it looks like.

     Rules in games are there to help you play the game in a fun, organized way that can also teach you skills you can use for other things in life. There are all sorts of games, but let's go with a sports game as an example. (We just need to remember that ALL games will have rules to follow.)  What would happen if in a soccer game everyone just ran around chasing the ball, picking it up and throwing it wherever? What would anyone learn? Who would win? How would you be safe? Rules are made for those very reasons (and more) and once you start changing the rules then it really isn't that game anymore. Also, the person or persons who created the game have the right to make the rules. These rules are usually thought about, and tried before they become set rules. Anytime you change the rules just because you don't like them, you are changing the real game!! 

     What about rules in school? Why are they there? Again, to help keep the students safe, learning, growing and progressing! If there were no rules about behavior and respect for one another, how could anyone learn anything? There would be kids up and running, yelling, fighting, breaking things, etc. and that is NOT an environment condusive to learning and progress! There are basic rules, but each teacher can make rules in their classrooms as well.

     Do you have rules at home? What would happen if there weren't? You could fight and argue over which bed to sleep in, whether those were your clothes or your sister's, and stepping on the dog messes because no one is responsible for the pets. For a home and family to run as smoothly as possible, there has to be rules and they have to be obeyed, or again, chaos will rule supreme. And Mom and Dad usually make the rules although many times they are discusssed and improved or changed according to a family counsel where everyone has a chance to express their feelings. But, again, once set, they need to be obeyed!

     What about the rules of life? Well, sadly, I think all you need to do is look around and you can see that many people do not want to follow the basic rules of life. They want what they want and they don't care who it hurts. The One who made the rules of life has explained all of the basic rules quite simply. Technically all the rules fall under two headings: First, Love the Lord thy God and second, Love your neighbor as yourself! But too many have decided they don't like this rule or that one and so as can be seen chaos is beginning to rule our world. And this has happened various times in history and it never turns out good. History repeats itself and it will continue to do so until the Savior returns to make all things right. 

     Again, maybe there are rules we don't like or we feel need to be changed, but again, that is not up to us! We did not make this world nor did we make the basic rules to govern it. And, if you seriously think it through, IF every one would choose to live the basic rules there wouldn't need to be more and more rules added. 

     As in all of the things we've talked about: There are rules! And there are good and bad consequences to the rules. 

     Bad consequences: If you don't play by the rules of the game, no one will want to play with you, or you'll get kicked out of the game, and/or pay a fine. And you certainly are not developing your skills. Disobey school rules you go to the principal, get suspended, and/or never learn the basics of an education to help you move forward in life. Rules at home include punishments like no privileges, time outs, extra work, and a myriad of other things. Disobedience to the rules of life can put you in jail, get you killed, or plenty of other things. And after this life? You will be judged according to how you obeyed His rules and will be sent to a world that you justly deserve! And really these barely scrape the surface of bad consequences that can happen by not obeying the rules all around us!

 Good consequences: Play the games correctly, learning the skills involved, and you will eventually come out on top in the game! Obey the rules at school and you will learn and grow and become a positive asset to your comuunity. Keep the rules at home and you become a cherished and respectful person who is an example for family and friends. Obey the rules of the Lord in this life and you will be allowed to learn and grow and progress eternally just as our Heavenly Parents and Savior are doing. And, again, there are other many and varied, positive consequences to obedience to rules!!!

     Remember: rules in this life are everywhere you turn and they are there for a reason!!!