Some moms allow a messy room but would never allow messy eating at the table. Others might be strict about children cleaning up after themselves but a little lax in clearing up an argument. There are as many variations on family rules as there are families.
Since I became a follower of Jesus, I stopped following an external Law. Jesus wrote His Law on my heart and made it very freeing to follow Him. I still study His Word and allow Him to speak to me, but I realize that I have His Spirit within me to guide me on a daily basis into all truth.
My children are still learning all that it means to follow Jesus, but I wanted to create a simpler approach in our home than to hand them a list of rules. When it seems like one after another of them is getting into trouble, I try to stop and remind them of our one rule.
The rule from which all other rules come is simply this: LOVE. Jesus tells us in His Word that all the commands He gave hang on loving God and each other.
Kids jumping on the couch? Not a loving thing to do to Mom and Dad who paid for it. Brother hit his sister? Absolutely not an act of love. Lying to Mom about who broke the window? Misleading her is certainly not love.
No matter what discipline is needed or what offense has been committed, we try to trace it back to love. That’s what Jesus did. And when it comes to navigating toddlers, ‘tweens and teens, simplicity is a big deal!