Instruction manuals come in handy. In our family, some members follow instructions diligently and effectively. Others, not so much.
Years ago, Melanie decided to buy a desk for our daughter, but not at a furniture store. No. Two enormous boxes covered the entry way to our home on Christmas Eve. When I saw the two manuals telling us how to put together literally hundreds of parts, I realized that I could never build the desk. Thankfully, Melanie’s dad, Jim Freeman, a carpenter and a chemical engineer was in the house. He, too, surveyed the manuals and then asked, “Do you have someone in your church you could hire to do this?” “No,” I thought and said, “No, I do not.” We went together to Melanie to break the news to her. Laboring under the weight of the manuals, I explained to her that we would have to send the desk back. With steely determination she looked at me and her dad and said, “I can follow directions.”
Twenty hours later we had a marvelous desk made of cherry wood in Casey’s room. To be clear, I helped. I carried the boxes upstairs and stayed out of Melanie’s way. Jim handed her the tools.
Where are the instructions for life? As Israel traversed the wilderness into the promised land, God gave them the ten commandments through Moses. The decalogue or ten commandments helped them to relate to God and to each other well. These laws have guided God’s people for thousands of years.
Jesus summarized these laws with two great commandments: first, love God with all your heart, soul and mind; second, love your neighbors as you love yourselves. While he was on earth, Jesus fulfilled the laws by obeying them perfectly. By his Spirit, we can love God with all and love our neighbors as well. To be clear, we do not obey the laws to earn God’s love, but because we know he loves us. I know serving God looks daunting. No need to send the manual back. We can follow directions. God has made us his workmanship, created to do good works in Christ.
