We live with Rules and Regulations. We suffer under them; we impose them on others; we respond and react based on our ideas of how things should be regulated. As parents we get to impose a range of rules on our children. We are often busy regulating their behaviour, responses, speech and so on. As employees we have to fit in with the requirements of our employer, who has to regulate the business based on government standards. When we drive the roads, play sport, join a group and engage in any organised social activity we come under rules and regulations.

So I want to graze the topic with you and see if there aren’t some insights that will help you make and apply better rules and regulations in your family, workplace or social context. Let’s see too if we can’t improve your attitude about the rules and regulations other impose on us. Ultimately, you see, we are all under the rules and regulations of God, Himself. As we respond to people’s regulations and instructions we reflect our response to God. As we impose regualtions on others we also expose our respponse to God’s authority.

Good rules and regulations are those that reflect and are consistent with God’s authority, since God is the source of all authority. Parents and governments can have profound impact through their regulations, when those rules and directions resonate with God’s authority.

This is an introductory post, however, so I don’t intend to dive deep into the subject as yet. Let me do some more grazing with you to scan something of the scope of the subject. The Code of Hammurabi is one of the earliest documented rules and regulations, for the Summerians of the Middle East, dating around 1800BC. The nearly 300 laws prescribed by Hammurabi suggested that goods were ultimately more valuable than human life and that people of privilege should be judged differently to others. Is that how rules and regulations should be based?

Today we can refer to International Law, the Law of Moses, Sharia Law, Federal Laws, Maritime Law, and so on. These laws conflict and compete at times, leaving us with confusion about what is right and wrong.

What about “innocent until proven guilty”? Is that the basis for law and order, or is it appropriate to accuse people and make them prove their innocence? In our terrorism conscious world we all want suspected terrorists restrained – but can we do that on suspicion? But then, what about the idea of “guilty until proven innocent”? Does that lead to the attrocities of the Inquisition? Do you want your life dictated by opponents who keep trumping up false accusations and making you spend your life defending youself against base-less charges?

And what about judgement affected by bribes, appointments based on nepotism, promotion by merit, promotion by privilege, passing the buck, manipulating the system, false evidence, and so much more? Parents are familiar with the “I didn’t do it” claim. So how do they apply rules and regulations justly when the facts are not clear? Oh, and what about accidental breaking of the law? Consider the person whose innocent actions have criminal results.

Obviously the most important way for each person to regulate their life is in the “fear of God”. That means we choose actions which we know God has prescribed and which are in line with His holy standards. Navigating through the application of that is where it all gets very interesting. So let’s pick this topic up some time soon and have another graze through the issues.