Don't do the Don't.....

How many times have you heard your parents say "don't"? How many times have you thought or said "why"?

Alrighty then....discussion time....

What part of don't do you not understand? It is a contraction, meaning it is parts of two different words....do and not......do not....what part of that don't you understand? The "not" part? OK, well, then, let's elaborate on the word. Let's look at some definitions of the word "not":

(From World Students Dictionary)

Main Entry:         not

Pronunciation:  (')nät

Function:             adverb

1 -- used to make a word or group of words negative not here>

2 -- used to stand for the negative of a group of words that comes before not>

(From Cambridge International Dictionary of English)

not   Show phonetics

adverb

1 used to form a negative phrase after verbs like 'be', 'can', 'have', 'will', 'must', etc. usually used in the short form 'n't' in speech:

He's not fat!

I won't tell her.

I can't go.

Don't you like her?

It isn't difficult (= It is easy).

I'm just not interested.

He's not bad-looking (= He is quite attractive)!

He's not as tall as his father.

2 used to give the next word or group of words a negative meaning:

I told you not to do that.

I like most vegetables but not cabbage.

"Come and play football, Dad" "Not now, Jamie."

It was Yuko who said that, not Richard.

3 used after verbs like 'be afraid', 'hope', 'suspect', etc. in short, negative replies:

"Is he coming with us?" "I hope not."

"Have you finished?" "I'm afraid not."

4 HUMOROUS sometimes used at the end of a statement to show that you did not mean what you have said:

That was the best meal I've ever had - not!

5 if not used to say what the situation will be if something does not happen:

I hope to see you there but, if not, I'll call you.

6 or not used to express the possibility that something might not happen:

Are you going to reply or not?

I still don't know whether she's coming or not.

Does this clear up the meaning of the word yet? It does? Good..

Now for the phrases you hate to hear....

Don't go out into the street..

Don't drink and drive... (wise advice)

Don't stick that screwdriver in that light socket....

Don't cross your eyes, they'll stay that way....

Don't hit your brother/sister....

Don't talk back....

Don't lie.....

Don't steal....

Don't cheat....

Don't drive fast....

Don't walk....

Don't run.....

Don't stop.....

Don't waste food/money/time.....

Don't dance (some of us just shouldn't anyway.....)

Don't smoke...

Don't do drugs.....

Don't have sex.....

Don't, don't, don't, don't.....seems like the world is full of don'ts.

Do you ever think of why there are so many don'ts?

One of the possible reasons could be that we as the fallible human race have the tendency to look at things and think that whoever is telling you "don't" has lost their mind....let me give you some examples...

Let's look at Adam first....

God told Adam:   Gen2:17  But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

OK...straight forward enough......

2. Eve, yes, I said Eve....as in Adam and Eve? What was she told by Adam? Don't eat the fruit of the tree in the midst of the garden.....what did she do? She did the "don't". She ate the fruit....Then God had to call both of them on it......

3. How about the Israelites? They were given Commandments from God.....

Starting with Exodus 20:1-17

1.And God spake all these words, saying,

2I [am] the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

3Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

4Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness [of any thing] that [is] in heaven above, or that [is] in the earth beneath, or that [is] in the water under the earth:

5Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God [am] a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth [generation] of them that hate me;

6And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

7Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

8Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

9Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

10But the seventh day [is] the sabbath of the LORD thy God: [in it] thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that [is] within thy gates:

11For [in] six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them [is], and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

12Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

13Thou shalt not kill.

14Thou shalt not commit adultery.

15Thou shalt not steal.

16Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

17Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that [is] thy neighbour's.

Wow! Some heavy stuff there....how many of those "don'ts" have you done? Hmmm?

Jesus told us not to do some stuff, too.....like:

Mt 5:27-28   27Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:

28But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. 

There are so many other instances in the Bible that we can see the word "not", so many other instances in our own lives where "not" comes into play....how can we avoid "doing the don't"?

On your own, you can't do it. Sure, maybe for a while you will be able to avoid it, but eventually, in a weak moment the don't will come up and slap you in the face and challenge you to a duel, so to speak...you will find that you blindly go forward and then the deed is done...you've done it, you've done what you were not supposed to do....So, how do we avoid the dreaded "don't"? Call on God...isn't that simple? No strings attached, no magic potions, no magic words...in fact only three words are needed.....

"Help me, God!" That's it....no fairy dust to sprinkle....just calling on the Alpha and Omega to help you to overcome giving into the don't that pulls you in and sucks the life out of you.

Don't know who God is? Simple again! A simple, heartfelt prayer, asking Jesus to come into your heart, to forgive your sins....Romans 10:9 says: " If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart, one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation"

(A sample of a simple prayer to receive Christ in your life follows....)

"God, I recognize that I have not lived my life for You up until now. I have been living for myself and that is wrong. I need You in my life; I want You in my life. I acknowledge the completed work of Your Son Jesus Christ in giving His life for me on the cross at Calvary, and I long to receive the forgiveness you have made freely available to me through this sacrifice. Come into my life now, Lord. Take up residence in my heart and be my king, my Lord, and my Savior. From this day forward, I will no longer be controlled by sin, or the desire to please myself, but I will follow You all the days of my life. Those days are in Your hands. I ask this in Jesus' precious and holy name. Amen."

Dear Ones,

You are not always going to be able to avoid "doing the don't", but if you have Christ in your heart then you will be able to confess, repent and have your sin forgiven. The don'ts are hard to avoid, but with Christ, you will have the strength to walk away from the temptation to act on the dreaded Don't.

Have a blessed week everyone.