Saturday, July 24, 2010

 

All Turned Around

Several years ago a doleful article appeared in a prominent American newspaper. It was the account of a twenty year old woman who was grieving the loss of her friend. She told a local reporter that she didn’t remember much about the crash that killed her friend (who was also only twenty years old), except that they were traveling on an interstate near a major city on the West coast when something went terribly wrong. It was 10 pm and they had only been on the freeway for about a mile when suddenly a vehicle entered the exit ramp and slammed, head-on, into their sedan. Her friend died, and she was seriously injured.

How does someone manage to go the wrong way on a divided highway, when the ramps are clearly marked “wrong way”? Wouldn’t oncoming headlights be a clear clue that something was haywire? Sometimes a person can squeeze by with backwards, but many times, as in the case of the accident mentioned above, backwards can be disastrous! On average about 350 people are killed each year nationwide in wrong-way freeway crashes. (Stop. You're Going the Wrong Way! by Steve Moler)

Consider the implications to having the following things backwards:
• Shoes
• Motorcycle helmet
• Surgical procedure
• 4+2=2
• Almost any manufacturing process
• Your belief system

Recently, in a town nearby, a friend of mine saw something just as backwards and troubling. On the marquee of a local high school was the shocking quote, “Wisdom begins within you.” This may seem like a harmless idea at first, but the premise is sinister and the ramifications could be disastrous. It’s backwards; all turned around.

The impossibility of that statement is easily proven. Put almost any two people in a room and they will differ in at least a few opinions. For example, one person might actually believe it is right to kill a baby that is already partially born while another might see that practice as barbaric. They can’t both be right. If wisdom begins in us, we would all be thinking the same thing. The inventor of that motto has it completely backwards.

The best selling book of all times proposes a very different motto. It says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10) It also proclaims that, “…wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere.” (James 3:17 New Living Translation)

Could it be that some of us prefer the motto on the marquee because it gives us license to make up our own reality? Perhaps, but that is all turned around and the results are disastrous to individuals, families, schools, churches, governments and cultures.

Of course, if Christ lives in you, it might be said that wisdom is within you – but in that case you are not the source so it does not begin within you. I think many in our culture are beginning to see that backwards thinking can be as dangerous as driving the wrong way on the freeway. It is dangerous even if everybody is doing it. My prayer is that our world would experience an awakening that would restore people’s deep respect for the one true living God. If we can get our thinking all turned around we will all be a lot safer – and wiser.

Thursday, July 01, 2010

 

Oh, What a Relief It Is !

Some readers may remember the antacid ad from the late 70s in which a famous actor said, “plop, plop, fizz, fizz, oh what a relief it is.” A few years before the same company ran an ad featuring “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing!” Obviously the marketing division of this well-known company was targeting those of us who might tend to over-eat or mis-eat and then search for a simple way to “fix” the consequences. At one time this antacid was promoted as a kind of a cure-all; the manufacturer recommended that it be taken for “the blahs.” Wouldn’t it be great to have a pill like that – one that had no side effects?
I’m all for simple solutions: Rinse with water (when necessary ad a little ammonia or bleach)... find a cure... relieve the pain… click “undo”.
Unfortunately so many things in life are much more complicated than that: You can’t un-say cruel words… un-slap a face… un-do a conception… un-wreck a car.
Where does one find relief when one’s sins come back to haunt them? How does one alleviate the heartache associated with a broken home? Where can one find peace after sustaining emotional injuries?
Israel’s famous King David is well known for his sin. He is also well-respected because he learned to humbly and honestly ask God’s forgiveness. He found relief. This is what he said on the matter:
“Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!
When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat.
Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, ‘I will confess my rebellion to the LORD.’ And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time, that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment. For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory.
The LORD says, ‘I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you. Do not be like a senseless horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.’ Many sorrows come to the wicked, but unfailing love surrounds those who trust the LORD. So rejoice in the LORD and be glad, all you who obey him! Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure! (Psalm 32 NLT)
There is great relief in godly living, coupled with repentance. So why do so many of us avoid the solution? Often our pride, stubbornness and self-deception stand in the way. It is our tendency to try to manipulate circumstances, feelings or even God, instead of just honestly admitting our offenses and accepting God’s rules and His grace.
Honest living supplemented with healthy doses of repentance spells r-e-l-i-e-f. “It is better to be godly and have little than to be evil and rich. For the strength of the wicked will be shattered but the Lord takes care of the godly.” (Psalms 37:16-17 NLT) I’d rather be poor than dishonest. I would rather be lonely than a cohort of those who hurt others. I would rather be mocked than deny my God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Right living is where the relief is, and God defines right living. Try it; you’ll notice the internal peace and joy it brings. O what a relief it is!

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