HIS COMMANDS ARE NOT BURDENSOME

DAY 96/366

1 John 5:3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,

Other renditions replace the words ‘not burdensome’ with alternatives such as ‘not grevious, not difficult or not oppressive.
Unfortunately, that is exactly the description we give to the commandments:  as restricting, limiting and unbending. It feels as though God presented a bundle of hard to fulfill tasks to place a cap on what we can do.

St John uses the words not burdensome because if we saw the intention behind the commandments, they would be easy to keep. Let’s not think the commandments and precepts of God, those things that define the boundaries and scope of our walk with him are meant to work in God’s interest. The truth is, they are for us.

Instead of seeing them as limiting and burdensome, we ought to begin perceiving them as compasses that guide our advance, and sign posts that keep us on track. One way to position yourself in rebellion is to see the commandments as burdensome, because burdens are to be laid aside to make one light for any pursuit.

#sly