Although I’m not a huge horse racing fan, the Kentucky Derby is always intriguing and this year I ended up hearing the exciting race on the radio. After it was announced that Maximum Security was the winner, I turned it off and went into the house for dinner.

To my surprise (like many other casual fans), I found out later that the winning horse had been disqualified once the instant replay confirmed there was interference.

According to the rule, “If a leading horse or any other horse in a race swerves or is ridden to either side so as to interfere with, intimidate, or impede any other horse or jockey, or to cause the same result, this action shall be deemed a foul…if in the opinion of the stewards, a foul alters the finish of a race, an offending horse may be disqualified by the stewards.”

The decision to enforce this rule has caused the horse racing world, media members, and spectators to loudly chime in with their opinionated perspectives. There was plenty of disbelief to go around as this was the first time something like this has happened.

Some can’t believe the stewards would disqualify Maximum Security when he was clearly the best horse, while others are thrilled they stuck to the rules.

Other people question if Maximum Security truly interfered and wondered how they could disqualify him in such an important race, with so much on the line.

I especially appreciated a response that came from Tim Sullivan of theLousiville Courier-Journal. He stated in his article, “The rules apply on Derby Day in Louisville as they do everywhere else on every other day. Interference is interference is interference. When Maximum Security made an unscheduled detour out of his lane along the rail Saturday afternoon and veered into traffic, he did so at the risk of disqualification.”

One’s perspective on rules is at the core of the outcome of Saturday’s race and the responses that followed. Not only in this instance but in life, we sometimes like rules that benefit us and would rather have those in charge look the other way when they don’t.

Other times if we don’t agree with a certain standard that is set, we just disregard following it because it doesn’t fit into our personal view.

When it comes to one’s perspective of the Bible and following Jesus, some of these mindsets creep in as well. We pick and choose which commands to follow and at what times we want to obey. If it benefits “the horse we’re pulling for,” then we embrace the rules but are outraged when the standard is different than we think it should be.

The truth is, none of us can perfectly obey God’s law. That’s why Jesus died in our place and gives us His righteousness when we believe. The law actually reveals our need for grace and for a Savior.

We don’t follow God’s rules out of obligation, but rather love and thankfulness. We know He has given them to us because He wants to protect us and knows what is best long-term.

The challenge for us today is not to have a casual view of the Bible, but to really understand the life He desires us to live in Him. It requires obedience and faithfulness to the standards He’s put into place for our good and for His glory.

Instead of looking at His commandments as a burden, what if we viewed them the way they’re described in Psalm 19:7-14 (NLT)?

“The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living.

“Reverence for the Lord is pure, lasting forever. The laws of the Lord are true; each one is fair. They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb. They are a warning to your servant, a great reward for those who obey them.”

I’m Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank You for loving me and protecting me by providing standards and commands to live by. I know I can’t obey without Your Spirit empowering me and I pray my heart’s desire would be to follow Your way. Help me not to pick and choose when and what to obey. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.