Looking for Loopholes in All the Wrong Places: Part 1

Looking for Loopholes in All the Wrong Places: Part 1

Webster’s dictionary defines a loophole as “a means of escape” and “an ambiguity or omission in the text through which the intent of a statute, contract, or obligation may be evaded.”

When you think about the use of “loopholes”, you probably think about the taxpayer trying to reduce his/her liability, the lawyer trying to get a client off the hook, or the problem employee trying to get around a company policy.  But, have you considered how often we try to find loopholes with God?

I was a single parent with a very demanding job for several years.  In order to make sure that I would be able to effectively raise my young daughter and keep her safe while meeting other obligations, I had to set up very specific boundaries for her.  Nicki wanted to be able to play outside on her swings. Since the backyard was sheltered, away from the street, and easy to watch from the house, she was allowed to go out as long as she didn’t cross specific boundaries.  She respected the boundaries, and all was well.

One fall day, Nicki asked me if she could go outside and rake leaves with her little toy rake.  I approved and off she went.  I was stunned a few minutes later to see her in the front yard near the street!  I immediately called her in and reminded her of the boundaries.  Our conversation went something like this:

Mom:  “Why were you in the front yard?  You know you aren’t allowed to go past the back of the house!”
Nicki:  “You said I could go rake leaves.”
Mom:  “Yes?”
Nicki:  “The leaves are in the front yard!”

It was at this point that I considered sending her to law school.  Regardless, my sweet little girl had found a loophole to the boundary rule.

How often do we as children of God try to do the same thing?  I say try because, in most cases, the Bible is very clear, complete, and non-ambiguous on these topics. Instead of legitimate loopholes, they are more often excuses. 

Over the next several weeks, I’m going to address several “loopholes” that people use to try to legitimize things that the Bible calls sin or to avoid doing the thing that God says we should do.  We’re going to look at how our attempts to find “loopholes” affect our mental and physical health as well as our relationships.  

Before we begin, please understand that I am not writing any of this out of personal judgement.  Only God can judge anyone because only he can see hearts.  In truth, I have to admit that I have tried every one of these “loopholes” at some point in my life.  The result was guilt, physical illness, stress, anxiety, and depression.  

I write these words of warning out of love to anyone who may read them so that they may be spared pain –  and more importantly, come into a saving relationship with our Savior.  This life is short.  Eternity is forever. 

“Loophole” #1

The Bible tells us to pray about everything, but I don’t have a lot of time and the Bible says that God already knows what I need.  

While it is true that Jesus tells us that God already knows our needs in Matthew 6:8, he also goes on to teach us how to pray.  Jesus himself prayed on multiple occasions, and he was God.  If Jesus made it a priority, we should as well.

(https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%206:8&version=NIV)

Being a Christ-follower is not like writing a “fire insurance policy” to avoid Hell and then forgetting about it until you need it.  Christianity is about a relationship between you and your Savior, and relationships require communication.  We talk with God through prayer, and we hear from him through the Bible and through his Holy Spirit who lives in us. Through regular prayer and Bible study, we can grow closer to God and we can have a clearer understanding of his will for our lives.  

Prayer is also a powerful “therapy” for mental health.  Talking about fears and concerns is helpful itself, but when you pray, you are taking your concerns to someone who can actually help in ways that no one else can.  God created you and knows you completely.  He wants you to come to him.

Consider these scriptures on prayer:

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. 

Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT)

And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for. 

1 John 5:14-15 (NLT)

God hears our prayers. He may not respond to them in the way that we want, but he has a higher vision and can see exactly what we need to grow and thrive.  I have written more extensively on this in the article on “Prayer” on our website.

We have the privilege of going directly to the Creator of the universe and having a conversation!  Through Jesus, we have been adopted into his family as heirs to the Kingdom of Heaven!  When we feel like our prayer life has become stale or burdensome, we should meditate on these truths so we can recognize the amazing privilege we have been given.  

Next week: Rationalizing sin by doing it for good reasons.

“How Prayer Changes the Brain and the Body” by Megan Kelly.

“4 Things That Will Hinder Your Prayers” by Greg Laurie. 

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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