IF YOU DON’T DO WHAT GOD SAYS, YOU’RE NOT CHANGING THE RULES-YOU’RE BREAKING THEM.

Bible Reading of the Day: Read James 4:11-12.

Verse of the Day: “You are not a judge who can decide whether the law is right or wrong. Your job is to obey it” (James 4:11).

Cassie held the red rubber kickball in her hands as she and her friend Melanie prepared to gather some of the other kids together for a game. Melanie nodded toward Heather Adams, their classmate who was playing on the monkey bars.

“She thinks she’s so smart,” Melanie snarled.

“Why?” Cassie asked. “Why do you say that?”

“Because,” Melanie said, as if Cassie should already know the answer, “she’s Mrs. Browning’s favorite. Everybody knows that. And besides, she didn’t invite me to her birthday party last week.”

“Yeah, so?” Cassie answered. “She didn’t invite me, either. What’s the big deal?”

“Well, I’ve never liked her since she called me fat in the third grade.”

“You’re still mad at her about that?” Cassie asked.

“She called you stupid,” Melanie said.

Cassie shrugged. “I know. But I forgave her for that. You should too.” “I don’t have to forgive her,” Melanie insisted.

“God says we should forgive each other. He tells us to love one another.” “Yeah, well, it’s different with me and Heather. I don’t have to love her. Not after what she did.”

Cassie shook her head. “You’re not the one who makes up the rules. You can’t just say, ‘I don’t have to love her because she did this or did that.’ God tells us to love each other. If you don’t do that, you’re not changing the rules—you’re breaking them!”

“Well, didn’t she break the rules when she called me fat?” Melanie asked.

“Yeah,” Cassie said, hesitating for a moment. “I guess so. But it’s not our job to worry about whether she broke the rules or not. It’s our job to do what God says ourselves, right?”

Melanie didn’t answer.

“Right, Melanie?” Cassie repeated.

Melanie rolled her eyes. “I guess so.” She sighed. “So what am I supposed to do?” “Well, you can stop talking about Heather behind her back.” Cassie tossed her friend the kickball. “And you can go ask her if she wants to play kickball with us.”

“OK,” Melanie answered. She started to walk toward Heather. After a few steps, she stopped and turned around. “Will you come with me?”

Cassie smiled and jogged a few steps to walk beside her friend.

TO DISCUSS: What was Cassie’s “job”? How does a person “do what God says”?

TO PRAY: “Holy Spirit, we worship you. We want to obey you. May your kingdom come. May your will be done.”