The Code. It is the rules that all pirates in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies live by. They continually use it to get out of situations or leave people behind because they have to “stick to the code”… Until they don’t. At one point they say “hang the code” and go back to rescue one of their fellow pirates.
I have found myself quoting this a lot lately, “hang the code”. It seems to be a theme in my life lately. If we realize it or not we all live our lives with a lot of unwritten rules. “The code” of society and social groups we find ourselves in. The way we do things, the things we say, the things we don’t say, things that “have always been”. They are “the code”. There is comfort in the code. There is predictability in the code. The code is safe.
But what if God is calling us to break the code… What if God is calling us to be more than just a face in the crowd, going along with the group. What if God is calling us to break the code. It’s scary. There are a lot of unknowns. It’s unpredictable.
As Christian’s we are called to hang the code that society has, and then follow after God. Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love God with everything you have got, and to love your neighbor as yourself. Both of these things go against the societal code of safety and security. It’s not serving yourself, it’s serving God. It’s not looking out for number 1, it’s looking out for others.
For me these last few weeks it has been changing up rhythms of an established ministry. Following after the vision that God has given us for what it could be. It’s been being a part of a team that switched up how we did baptisms in service. It has created a lot of work, a lot of uncertainty, but also a peace. By hanging the code, the unwritten rules of society and tradition, and following God we truly have to put all of our trust and hope in Him.
What can you do this week to hang the code and follow after what God has called you to do? Maybe it’s something small and simple like making a meal for a neighbor or a friend. Maybe it’s something bigger, like talking about your faith with a coworker. Maybe it is stepping out and volunteering somewhere. Maybe it is entirely leaving your old life behind and starting new. I don’t know what it is, that is between you and God, but I want to encourage you to follow after Him and what He has called you to do.
Hang the Code, follow God.
