Thou Shalt Not
Exodus 20:4
"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:"
One of the common complaints you hear in Christianity is that people say they get tired of all the rules in the church. You often hear people say that they don't like the preacher telling them how to dress, where they can go, with whom they should be friends, etc. Many people who have dropped out of church tell me that the reason they stopped going to church was because they didn't like the preacher always telling them what to do.
Several times in the Scriptures God says, "Thou shalt not..." In fact, two hundred and forty times God says this in the Scriptures. This is just one of the phrases God uses to show us what not to do. If you are not careful, you will allow this phrase to be the thing that drives you away from serving God; however, I believe if you looked at this phrase in a different light you would realize that God's rules are not so bad. Let me show you some perspectives you should keep about the phrase, "Thou shalt not..."
First, "Thou shalt not..." reveals your heart. You can tell a whether a person is rebellious by what they do when they are told not to do something. You will hear people say, "I'm not going to let them tell me what I can't do!" There are many people who take it as an honor badge to rebel against God's commandments. You have some who say that you are going to run off people by telling them what not to do. Well, apparently God didn't get that memo, because two hundred and forty times He commands us not to do something. Rules don't run people off, rules only reveal that the heart already ran off. It simply reveals to authority the heart of an individual. Don't be afraid of the rules God has set in place, for they are partly there to reveal an individual's heart.
Second, "Thou shalt not..." shows you what you can do. If God is telling us what not to do, then He is also revealing what we can do. Too many people look at the negative side of the statement when they ought to see that there are many things God allows us to do. It is not keeping you from doing things, it is only showing you what you can do. God is simply giving you clarity by telling you what not to do.
Third, "Thou shalt not..." protects you from harm. Sadly, the people who look at the negative side of this command don't realize that God is keeping someone from harm. God tells us not to do something because He knows if we do it that it will hurt us. When my parents told me not to play with the electrical plugins in the house, they were not being hateful, they were simply keeping me from hurting myself. Christian, God is not being hateful by telling you not to do something, instead He is revealing His love towards you by keeping you from hurting yourself.
Fourth, "Thou shalt not..." keeps God's blessings upon your life. If you will obey this command, then you will keep God's blessings rolling into your life. Obedience is the key to the blessings of God. You discover the fountain of God's blessings by learning what not to do.
Let me encourage you not to look at the commandments of God in a negative light. Don't let the Devil snooker you into the feeling that all the rules God set in place are grievous. Instead, look at the rules in a positive manner and see that God is truly trying to give you His blessings if you will obey Him. If you will look at it in this light, then you will find that serving God truly is the best life to live.