Getting Out of Bed in the Morning

"Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."' -Matthew 22:37-40

Almost anyone who has grown up "religious," whether they be Mormon, Muslim, or Christian, has been indoctrinated with a set of rules. Some of these rules may be stated openly, such as a prohibition against alcohol, while others may be more subtle, such as not fraternizing with those who hold different beliefs.

Whatever the rules may be, they are without exception oppressive. They are also usually the framework within which someone defines themselves as a believer in their religion. We would assume that someone who prays toward the east on a set schedule is either a Muslim or a Jew. In the same way, the believer who does the praying is self-defined by their actions. A Mormon would feel unorthodox for failing to venerate Joseph Smith; an Atheist must remain true to form and dogmatically state that the universe evolved by chance, no matter what intricate pattern they may see in nature; and a Christian should be at a church service every Sunday, even if they sleep through the service. Whether motivated by guilt or self-righteousness, rigidly following the rules is deemed "good enough."

As a young follower of Christ, I was overwhelmed by the choices in life. How could I possibly know what rule to follow in each and every situation? Would there not be times when one rule would conflict with another? How could I possibly know if it was right or not to simply get out of bed in the morning? After all, I may fall into sin as soon as my feet touched the floor, and there was no law to dictate if it was right to take that risk or not. The "Big Ten" commandments were a start, but where should I stop? I am sure I was far from alone in this struggle.

I thank my Lord that He has provided the answer to this question, and that he opened my eyes to it. Our actions, whatever they may be, must be motivated by love... Love for God first of all and love for the people we come into contact with secondly. There are times when two identical actions may be praiseworthy or sinful, simply based on their motivation. It may be love for God and others that motivates us to give a large amount of money to a charity. This would be an action in accord with the the two overarching commandments and therefore with all others. However, it would be a sin to give with the motivation of puffing up ego and self-righteousness, even if the giving is done anonymously.

When you get out of bed in the morning, ask yourself why you are getting out of bed. Evaluate all of your actions, no matter how small. Are you oppressed by rules, or freed by love? Find out what drives you. Be driven by love and you need never fear going astray.