Principles

There is an old saying that goes something like this; “Rules are many, Principles are few! Rules always change, principles never do!”

This saying has proven true for generations, and it holds true to this day. As times change, so does society, culture and necessarily the church. In that process new rules are being established. Rules for communication, rules for church-life, and for interpersonal relations all have changed and will continue to change. More importantly depending on your culture, upbringing and social circles different behavior is acceptable or frowned upon in various settings. That is true of different churches as well.

Webster’s Dictionary defines principles as “A basic truth, law, or assumption”. As we live our lives, the rules we are confronted with will constantly change, however the principles we base our live and our behavior upon will never change, they are the timeless truths of God's Word that ultimately must govern life in all eras of the history of humanity.

We have a choice to live by every new rule, idea or fad that comes along or establish principles that we live our lives by. A rule, for example is not to watch R-rated movies; however, the corresponding principle is to keep our eyes, thoughts, minds and hearts pure and undefiled. A rule is to give a certain percentage of our income; the corresponding principles are to live our life in a spirit of generosity, to worship through giving, and to refuse to trust in wealth to be our security!