As a young coach I had a sign on my office door: “Rules for Our Program. Rule 1. The Coach is always right. Rule 2. If you think the coach is wrong, see Rule 1.” My players always thought that was funny and, remarkably, true most days. Throughout athletics, rules govern the game. Our lives are no different.

In Romans 12:9-20, you read a lengthy list of strong suggestions on how to live a godly life. As you look through the list, you will find the “do’s” outweigh the “don’ts” over three to one. God’s Word is filled with amazing truths of how we should live out our lives to be different from the inside out. Too many people who follow Christ look at these instructions as negative things they cannot do, rather than focusing on the positive to enhance their faith and lives.

Love, learn, and live—all key elements of today’s passage—are great words to live by even today. This message from God’s Word is not just a list of rules to bog down your life, but to give you hope, to give you direction, and to give you a sense of God’s plan for your life. Your obedience and response to these godly rules will determine your outcome in the game of life. Remember my two rules? They are really God’s rules for life. Just take out “the coach” and insert “God.” Trust and obey, and follow His way!