Rule No. 14: Some Rules Are Meant to be Broken
Some rules tell us to pull the curtains closed. But grace enters when we dare to let the light in.
There are rules we grow up with, intended for our survival: "No running in the house." "No TV until your homework is done." Then there are other rules—unspoken, carved into culture and expectation—that we only survive, and truly thrive, by breaking.
In this stage of my life, I thought I had a grip on the difference between the rules for survival and the ones to be broken for freedom. Yet, God is teaching me that the line between them is not always so clear.
The Rules We’re Given
You, dear reader, would probably agree that your life has been filled with rules. Not all were written down, but you knew they were there—etched quietly into cultural expectations, family dynamics, even the pews where you sat on Sundays (or if you were like me growing up, two other days of the week).
Some came with smiles, others with warnings, but many carried the same message: Do this. Stay in line. Don’t ask questions.
But I’ll ask you this: what if those same rules are limiting what God is calling you to?
The Rules We Keep
I’ve lived under many rules; I am in no way unique in this. For me, they were often cultural: Speak only when spoken to. Don’t take up too much space. Don’t contradict authority. Don’t be too passionate, too opinionated, too visible… too much.
For a Guyanese boy dreaming of a world I had yet to chart, these rules were stifling. They forced me to color inside lines that did not recognize my God-given purpose.
Then there were the silent rules, especially in church spaces:
1. Don’t question tradition.
2. Don’t wrestle publicly with your faith.
3. Don’t let anyone know you’re struggling.
4. Don’t question God.
I broke the rule of silence when I chose to face the shadow.
That last one was the ultimate taboo. But these weren't commandments from Scripture; they were whispers in the spaces between praise and worship. I’ve since learned that those rules were often about protecting ritual, not nurturing a relationship. Now, in my own relationship with my savior Jesus Christ, I realize not every rule protects you. Some just push you farther from the One who already knows your heart.
Following Jesus’ Example
Let’s establish one thing: Jesus did not sin. He did not violate the Law of Moses. Scripture is emphatic that He was “without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). And yet, He was labeled a lawbreaker.
Why?
Because He broke the Pharisees’ interpretation of the Law. When religious leaders had added layers of man-made tradition around God’s commands, Jesus stripped those layers back to reveal the spirit beneath the letter.
He healed on the Sabbath. He dined with sinners. He spoke with Samaritans. He touched lepers. He turned tables in the temple when worship became a business. He did all of this while fulfilling—not abolishing—the Law (Matthew 5:17), because beneath it all were compassion, love, and true obedience to God.
Sometimes, obedience to God means offending those in power.
Sometimes, obedience to God means disobedience to culture.
So when I found myself in a place where culture screamed at me to toe the line, play the game, and keep my head down, I had a choice. I stood up and fought against the silence protecting a corrupt system. I refused to let compliance mute my conviction. And while I paid a price for it, that price wasn’t destruction in the storm that followed; it was the freedom that began my journey of surrender to the One who was with me in the boat all along.
Not All Disobedience is Rebellion
Thinking of other biblical examples helps me decipher when a rule should be broken.
Peter and John were ordered to stop preaching. Their response: “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).
Daniel, my namesake, was thrown into the lion’s den for praying to God instead of King Darius. His friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, were thrown into a furnace for refusing to bow to an idol. God rescued them all.
Esther went before the king unsummoned—an act punishable by death—to save her people.
Holy defiance is not recklessness. It is obedience to a higher law.
This isn't a license to do whatever you want under the banner of "authenticity." The truth remains that not every rule is a cage. Some are boundaries that keep us safe and humble.
This is where discernment is key. Discernment is the difference between breaking rules for ego and breaking them for integrity. It is the difference between being disruptive and being destructive.
The real work is asking: What am I willing to break to stay whole in Christ?
If a rule demands your silence in the face of injustice—break it.
If a rule protects an image over the truth—break it.
If a rule asks you to betray your Spirit-led conviction—break it.
Because you were made to worship in spirit and in truth.
Scripture for the Rule Breakers
Acts 5:29 – “We must obey God rather than men.”
Matthew 5:17 – “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law... but to fulfill it.”
Isaiah 1:17 – “Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed.”
Micah 6:8 – “Act justly and love mercy and walk humbly with your God.”
Romans 13:1-2 – “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities…” (This calls for respect for order, but the context of all Scripture shows this does not apply when human authority commands direct disobedience to God’s higher law.)
Final Thoughts
Now I stand free.
As I close, I want to say that not every rebel is righteous, and not every sanctuary is a cage. But every righteous person will, at some point, be called to rebel—against corruption, hypocrisy, silence, oppression, and even against the version of themselves defined by fear. But never against God.
And if God has called you out of something, don’t stay just because the rules say you should. Some rules were never holy to begin with.
So let God’s Spirit lead. Let His word anchor. Let His truth be your guide, and never be afraid to break what needs breaking—especially when it is the only way to be faithful.
