Nina Goodwin, writing for msn.com, shares 14 school rules that have changed over the years. Things from the past that would have gotten a student expelled or suspended barely receive notice today. Let me just share a portion of her list.1
Coloring their hair. We aren’t talking about a blonde becoming a brunette or vice versa. That alone would have been scandalous many decades ago. We are talking about the bright neon colors that are used today. It is not unusual to see neon green, pink, blue, red, or orange heads bobbing through the middle of a crowd. Some will color just streaks or bangs in their hair while others will baptize their entire heads in color. What they don’t realize – or maybe they do – is that there is a reason why people started coloring their hair like this. Research this for yourself. It was often done to indicate deviant sexual orientation.
Doodling on your paper. Did you ever get into trouble for this in school? There was a time when if you were caught with mindless doodles on your page, you were accused of being inattentive, sent to the principal’s office, and if this persisted, you were out the door. Today, it’s allowed, even ENCOURAGED for some because it helps them concentrate. Dr. James Dobson admits to having this problem and he even doodles while the preacher preaches. It helps him focus and concentrate.
Bearing flesh. This one really pushes my buttons. You may not like the poofy hair of the 80s, the baggy pants of the 60s and 70s, or the poodle skirts, shirts, and ties of the 50s but you have to credit them for one thing. They were modest. In 2025, modesty has gone out the window in the schools and undress is the order of the day. Ripped jeans, belly shirts, low-cut tops, and skin-tight fitting yoga pants are the order of the day. If there is a dress code, it is not enforced.
Questioning a teacher. Would you have dared to correct a teacher or tell them that their thought process was wrong? Absolutely not. Today, though, it’s encouraged, and students are challenged to never just accept what’s being taught. They should ask why and never accept a general answer. The student is being disrespectful, we are told. They are engaging.
Facial hair. Ms. Goodwin didn’t have this one on the list. It’s on my list. Facial hair on guys was strictly forbidden. This was true in high school and it was true in Bible college. God was good to me, though. My upper lip has never been touched by a razor. Peach fuzz turned into the mustache. The year it started darkening and growing, we got a new high school principal – Tom Lavinder. Guess what? He had a big ol’ thick mustache. In college, MY first year was the first year that mustaches were allowed thanks to a new
college president, Dr. J. Don Jennings. Today on high school campuses, it will not be unusual to see high school guys with full beards. Some look like they are well on their way to fitting in with the Duck Dynasty guys!
Rules change in society all the time. Some changes are for the good. Others are not and serve as a detriment only to be realized after the damage is done.
Some accuse the Bible of being a book of “dos and don’ts”. I do not deny this. The Bible does tell us what to do and what not to do. It also tells us a lot more things, the most important being that the Bible tells us about the God and His nature who has told was what to do and what not to do. Most often, the reason for the rule is found in the nature of God and His holiness.
Why did God give us “rules?” A major part of the answer can be found in Galatians 3:22-24. “But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. (23) But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. (24) Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” God’s law was given to show us that we are sinners incapable of saving ourselves and desperately in need of Jesus and His sacrifice for us. The “rules” never change because the nature of people never changes. All are conceived and born as sinners under the weight of sin’s condemnation. All need salvation.
For those who are saved, another reason for the rules can be found in God’s parenting skills. Ephesians 6:1-3 says, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. (2) Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) (3) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.” God gives “rules” to His people to protect them, keep them safe, and to provide them with a life well lived. This is ultimately an act of love. And blessing is found in the sphere of obeying and honoring our parents. How much more so is that true of obeying and honoring our Heavenly Father.
Rather than chafing at God’s “rules,” why not remind ourselves that God only wants the very best for us. He is looking out for our good. He desires our obedience from a heart that loves the God that loves us enough to give us boundaries.
And if you are hoping that God will eventually lighten up like the school system has done and change His mind, you better think again. Malachi 3:6 clearly reminds us, “For I am the LORD, I change not…”
1https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/lifestyle-buzz/14-innocent-things-kids-once-got-expelled-for-that-are-normal-now/ss-AA1Cxbur?ocid=msedgntp&pc=LCTS&cvid=d748a769827f44b4c7fb6051ea2b1119&ei=27#image=1
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