Thought for the Month – July 2025

Last Sunday at Cooksmill Green, we celebrated our 160^th anniversary. It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining, we had an inspiring service and enjoyed a picnic lunch together in the garden after. All ages together, everything it seems was in harmony – some might say it was even a little taste of heaven…

One of the nuggets I personally took away from the service was that, what we do and the decisions we make today will affect our tomorrow and beyond. This being true in both our worldly and spiritual lives.

Depending on our power and influence, our decisions and actions today will not only affect us and those closest to us, but others too, not just for tomorrow but possibly the next few years, decades. In the case of world leaders, they can affect generations to come – we only have to look at current world events! Consider, for example, a young science graduate looking for a career path, do they work on a cure for cancer or the development of more effective weapons? Do they make moral or economic decisions?

What will you and I do today? And what is it that will guide our actions?

Rules and regulations! What is their purpose and who decides on what they should be?

Sadly, on occasions, many of us think that rules and regulations are for others, not for us, but where would we be without them? Take sport for example, if there were no rules, regulations or boundaries; games and competitions would descend into utter chaos. In the case of extreme activities, these need to be regulated by sound safety regulations and guidelines. If you’re going to go skydiving, you want to know that your parachute has been designed, made, packed and strapped to your body according to strict procedures. Original rules get refined and developed over the years taking advantage of new technologies and expectations, using the knowledge and experience of those who understand a particular activity. Generally speaking, these changes are for the better (with a few exceptions) and lead to safer and more enjoyable experiences.

However, in spite of what some may think, there is one activity where the original rules and regulations need no refinement. The activity of life itself. At one extreme some will say we should always be free to choose, anything goes. If you applied that to skydiving and were told “Oh just stick the parachute on however you like, on your back, on your front, you choose. If the straps are too tight just undo them, whatever suits you” not much imagination needed! At the other extreme totalitarian regimes inflict harsh rules on their people to supress and control them. Their lives are miserable, they live in fear, some even die trying to escape. These days we have the questionable benefit of social media ‘influencers’ some I fear (with perhaps a few exceptions) having little or no experience of real life, but are ready to tell us what we should think and do. Those that do have experience often have agendas, not always designed for social harmony and cohesion.

So where do we get our rules for life? I’m not talking about tax laws, the highway code, and such like, all of which need changing over time given new circumstances and technologies. I’m talking about the way we live our lives, basic social and moral responsibility. What are the rules? Where do we go to set our moral compass?

As Christians we believe that when God created us He set out the original rules and regulations for life, with all the appropriate boundaries, none of which will ever need changing. In addition, he gave us freedom. Sadly, mankind abused that freedom thinking that with knowledge and experience we could change the rules and do better. And thus it has been ever since. Once the original rules were changed, distrust, inequality, injustice, pain and so much more have become the way of life for so many.

God, in His infinite wisdom and grace, still gives us pointers back to the original rules and regulations, be it through the words of the prophets, or better still through the teachings and actions of Jesus.

My oft quoted passage from the prophet Micah:

Micah 6:8 (N.I.V.)

⁸ He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
    And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
    and to walk humbly with your God.

Jesus on the law:

Matthew 22: 35-40

³⁵ One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

³⁷ Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

What will you and I do today? And what is it that will guide our actions?

How can we help those around us experience harmony, even a little taste of heaven, not just today but tomorrow and beyond?

Lord help us to follow Your ways

So that today,

We can help to make a better tomorrow

Amen

Steve