Geared Up: Ready to Make a Difference

"This is not working out very well." That was an observation about some of our lives that Lee made as he was preparing today's message. And for some of us that is an understatement. Challenge after challenge, crisis after crisis, one step forward and two steps back! There are times when we are frustrated by the fact that fate seems to be working against us; but the truth is that more often than not we can spot our contribution to the problem.

It comes, I believe, from "I know what I've been taught, but I think," or "Yes, yes, I've heard my parent's lectures, but I want to," or "I know what the Bible says, but I don't agree." There is an old movie line that comes to mind. "Boy, you're in a heap of trouble." And we are! There are some technological gains and medical advances that come from questioning the conventional wisdom. And inventors learn a lot from trial and error. But for us not to take into serious consideration the moral and ethical consensus gathered from the mistakes and successes of our predecessors is fool-hearty; and for us not to listen to God's word is insane.

Yes, we can learn more from our missteps than we do from our profitable habits; and they can stimulate some growth. But I am a fool if I walk the wrong way on purpose, learning something that I don't need to know, and which can damage me in the process.

The wise writer of the Proverbs says (6:20-22) "My son, keep your father's commands and do not forsake your mother's teaching. Bind them upon your heart forever; fasten them around your neck. When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep they will watch over you; when you awake they will speak to you." And that goes more than double for God's word, which is "God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness (II Timothy 3:16)."