Two spiritual insights?

Two thoughts that have been stirring in my head of late. Neither are new, but both are meaningful for me in different ways.

First, adding rules to the commandment(s) to love God and to love our neighbour creates a different god made in our image. But love is a tricky thing--rather complex at times. Sometimes we need to flesh out what loving God and loving our neighbour means with clarifications. It is a very fine line indeed between adding rules and expounding on love of neighbour. That fine line, however, gives enough space for massive amounts of spiritual abuse. Do we give up on love? Do we stop adding commentary? Neither: both would be too easy. We live in humility, admitting we may have created a different god and in that creation abused those over whom we have influence, and speaking with caution to those who are listening.

Second, having expectations of myself that are so high that they cannot be reached is a denial of God's grace. Condemning myself for not meeting expectations that are too high means that I have put myself under a master other than a gracious Father. Believing the lie that we should always look out for ourselves because we know what's best for us, we put ourselves in a compromised position of serving the subtle, demanding, overtaxing, and unfair boss of self. That boss never gives a sabbath.