Good Tools Are Needed For Success

Nothing in this world lasts forever! New cars grow old * Clothes wear out * Roofs spring leaks * Windows crack * Appliances break-down * Batteries run down. And just about the time one thinks they have it all under control, Murphy’s Law will always trump the best hand, “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.” I’m old enough to have experienced Murphy’s Law over and over again, and to this very day it never fails to frustrate me to no end, because it always inflicts itself at inopportune times. This past Monday morning the hard-drive fail in my office computer. I’m self-taught in everything computer and spent the day troubleshooting the failure, refusing to accept the findings, and looking for a work-around solution, you know, like what we do after leaving the doctor’s office. Well, I’ve never had to use a repair person before, so I went mechanic shopping. I could change the hard-drive myself, but I don’t have the tools to recover the data on the old one. Yes, I have data back-ups, but it’s the programs that take forever to get built back up again. If I insist on being cheap I’m going to need more tools in my box.

[2 Corinthians 6:1-13; 10:4] “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” The apostle Paul referred to “tools” or “weapons” when writing to the Corinthians. He mentions “weapons of righteousness” and “weapons” of our warfare. The tools or weapons of Christianity are spiritual and figurative, yet with them we can help shape and build up those around us. Romans 6:13 tells us our body is an instrument, and we chose to use it for righteousness or wickedness. The Greek word translated “instrument” there means “tool or weapon.” What kind of tool or weapon are you? Are you an instrument God holds in his hand to do His will? Are you a battering ram? The ancients would use a log or some other hard object to break down a wall or door. Have we filled our hearts with the Word to a degree that we can, “...speaking the truth in love...” (Ephesians 4:15) break down barriers keeping the honest-hearted from God? Are you a crowbar? Crowbars pry objects apart. These are things we should separate from our thinking and lifestyle. Are we consistently trying to pull away from worldliness? (James 4:4). Are you a chisel? This is a tool that does meticulous, detailed work. Its blade carves or cuts hard materials. Do we have the tenacity and trust needed to use God’s Word and benefit from His providence to remake our lives into the image of Christ? (2 Corinthians 3:18). Are you a level? We live in not only a dishonest world but also a corrupt world. So many call good evil and evil good (Isaiah 5:20). Can people find in us a reliable standard of right and wrong, as we reflect the principles of God’s Word? Levels are used to determine whether something is true and as it ought to be. Are you a plane? The plane makes rough surfaces smooth by repetitiously moving it back and forth on the surface. All four gospels (Matthew 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4; John 1:23) speak of John the immerser’s work as making ready the path of the Lord, making his paths straight. We are not forerunners of Jesus; we follow in his steps (1 Peter 2:21). As we do follow Him, we are going to forge a path safe for others to follow (1 Corinthians 11:1). Are you a magnet? A magnet is an object that draws and holds another object disposed toward such attraction. Magnets can be used as tools themselves, but they are often made a part of other tools, such as hammers and screwdrivers. By living like Jesus, you will draw people to Him. Are you a good tool?

The Old Paths

I like the old paths: When moms were at home, dads were at work, brothers went into the army and sisters got married BEFORE having children! Crime did not pay, hard work did and people knew the difference. Moms could cook, dads would work, children would behave, husbands were loving, wives were supportive and children were polite. Women wore the jewelry and men wore the pants. Women looked like ladies and men looked like gentlemen and children looked decent. People loved the truth and hated a lie. People came to church for more than funerals. Hymns sounded Godly, sermons sounded helpful, rejoicing sounded normal and crying sounded sincere. Cursing was wicked, drinking was evil and divorce was unthinkable. The flag was honored, America was beautiful and God was welcome! We read the Bible in public, prayed in school and preached from house to house. To be called an American was worth dying for, to be a Christian was worth living for, to be called a traitor was a shame! Sex was a personal word, homosexual was an unheard of word and abortion was an illegal word. Off-colored jokes were only told among “dirty” men folk. Preachers preached because they had the VICTORY! Preachers preached the Bible, singers sang from the heart and sinners turned to the Lord to be SAVED! A new birth meant a new life, salvation meant a changed life, and following Christ led to eternal life. Being a preacher meant you proclaimed the word of God, being a deacon meant you would serve the Lord, being a Christian meant your would live for the Lord and being a sinner meant someone was praying for you. Laws were based on the Bible; homes read the Bible and churches taught the Bible. Preachers were more interested in new converts than new clothes and new cars. God was worshipped, Christ was exalted and the Holy Spirit was respected. Church is where you found Christians on the Lord’s Day, rather than in the garden, on the creek bank, on the golf course, or being entertained somewhere else. I still like the old paths best!

[Psalm 14:1 & 53:1] “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.” There was a time when men of wisdom looked into heaven and counted the stars. They said, “There are two thousand, and only two thousand stars!” They lacked the tools that would have opened their eyes to the expanse of the universe and its thousands upon thousands of stars. There was an age when men of medicine believed that illness was caused by humor or fog or perhaps even witches. The world of the microbe and virus was not known nor seen and yet it existed. They lacked the tools to see beyond their limited vision. Men of learning would often bleed a patient to remove disease. They did not know the life that was in the blood and thousands died from the treatment they offered. Things they could not see would often kill. Doctors carried death from one patient to another simply because they did not wash their hands. They denied the finding of one doctor who said and proved that their actions were taking lives. Again, the psalmist said, “The fool has said in his heart ‘There is no God.’” As in the past we tend to deny what we cannot see. Believe what is later proven to be false. Look into heaven and count the stars again, examine the hidden world of the microbe. Is it possible you could be wrong - about God? “This is what the Lord says: ‘Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest in your souls...’” (Jeremiah 6:16). God loves you!

Slow Down, Feed Your Spirit

A young child came to her mother one day complaining her stomach was hurting. Knowing the time of day was approaching for a good lunch for an active little girl the mother explained, “Oh honey, your stomach is probably empty. You just need to get something in it and you’ll be fine.” About a week later the little girl overheard the preacher speaking to her mother and mentioning he had a headache. “Oh preacher,” the girl blurted out, “Your head is probably just empty. You just need to get something in it and you’ll be fine.” It takes age and experience to discern life’s lessons and apply them with wisdom. We are living in an age that, it seems, everything is accelerating at an ever greater speed and in our pursuit to “keep up” our spirit is being neglected and becoming angry and belligerent. Our spirit’s are hurting and crying out because their empty. It’s the sign of its starvation on our part for not feeding our spirit with the Word of God. Simply observe all the anger in the world and you’ll find the total lack of reverence for the Creator of everything. The only thing you get to keep in this life is your spirit – feed it!

[Psalm 46:10] “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Notice the comma after “be still.” It means to stop, slow down, chill out. It is pretty obvious that the majority of us have allowed our culture to draw us into living extremely busy lives to the point where it is nearly impossible to focus our attention on what is really important. Consider the following: (1) Studies have shown that when we do two tasks at the same time we take about thirty percent of our attention off the primary task. (2) Whenever two people meet in our society, the odds say that one or the other will mention how busy they are. (3) In 1950 we had on average ten activities to choose from as to what we were going to do next in any given day, while today that number can be over one thousand, depending on the size of your income. Things become even more complicated because most of these activities are either fun or deemed worthy of our time. (4) The culture has convinced us that activity is all that counts and anything else is nothing more than laziness. (5) God created both activity and rest. In fact, He commands both of them (Ecclesiastes 3:9-13; Matthew 11:28-29). So, to live within the bounds of his will requires a balance of both. The Bedouin shepherds live in shabby box tents that dot the hillsides throughout Israel. When compared to our lives saturated with modern conveniences it appears they live a very difficult life. However, an interesting fact is that their average lifespan is more than 100 years. While their diets are made up of natural foods which contain no preservatives, that is not the secret of their longevity. The secret lies in their relatively stress-free lives. Stress makes us sick; drives us crazy; and kills us some three decades before the majority of these shepherds. The Bedouins rise from their tents slightly before sunrise and go about the work of their day. As the sun begins to set they gather as families in their tent for dinner. Then they will typically sit around telling stories and singing. Each evening involves three to four hours of family time. Their work is very physical and tiring but their lives are relatively free from the “noise” of life. They typically go to bed at the same time every night and enjoy deep restful and renewing sleep. As the Bedouins lie down all is quiet as they stare up at the clear star-filled sky. Their minds are able to focus on the majesty of God and that is the last thing on their mind as they fall asleep. Slow down. Revere the God of all things.

Jesus Promised Rest

I was out shopping the other day for two items my wife wanted, both of which were eluding me. One of the items, Sprite-0, seems to be on the endangered list because it’s getting harder and harder to find. Knowing my success in one grocery store I went there in hopes of finding the refrigerator 12 pack still being stocked and going home a hero. I was scanning the isle full of sodas and was about to concede its extinction when I saw the spot, on the very bottom shelf of all places, where the 12 pack should be, but appeared to be vacant. Just by chance there might be one way in the back I got down on my knees to look and sure enough there was one. I got spread-eagle on the floor and reached way back for the soda whereupon I heard an eight-year-old proclaim, “Mister, you okay? Do you need some help?” How embarrassing! I looked up and thanked him, “No, I’m fine.”

[Matthew 11:28] “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Weary people need rest. Jesus provides rest. Rest from the law. The people of Israel were weary from the burden of the law. The law of God given through Moses was good, but people are not good. Therefore, those under the law were always aware that they were not living up to the standard the law set. How wearisome! That is why “...God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law...” (Galatians 4:4-5). Amazingly, the first apostasy from the church was a move to return to salvation by law-keeping instead of faith in Jesus the redeemer. Paul encouraged, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1). To this day, Christians are frequently tempted to link their salvation to law instead of to Jesus. When we fall prey to that temptation we quickly find ourselves worn out. Remember that Jesus promised rest. Rest from life’s burdens. People are fatigued by life when it is lived having no hope and without God in the world (Ephesians 2:12). When people experience hardship, pain, and death they often turn to despair, bitterness, and doom which sucks the life right out of them. Jesus makes possible and teaches us a perspective on life that is full of faith, hope, and love. Jesus provides a real and eternal victory over hardship, pain, and death that allows those burdened by life to be comforted by the words of Jesus: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me” (John 14:1). Jesus also declares: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10) Even when walking through the valley of the shadow of death, the sheep find peaceful and fearless rest with the Good Shepherd. Rest from sin. The lifestyle of sin wears us out physically and emotionally. When we use the phrase “that person has been living a hard life” we mean that that person has been living daily with unrepentant sin. It is not a coincidence that we can see that the “hard life” has taken a hard toll on that person’s body. Sin is physically destructive. As a matter-of-fact, sin is so physically destructive that its final outcome is death! It is also a great burden to carry around the emotional weight of true and heavy guilt. Jesus calls us out of the lifestyle of sin and gives true forgiveness from the guilt of sin “...so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 5:21). Sin, attractive at first, wearies the bones and the soul in the end. Jesus promises rest! Are you okay? Do you need some help? Go to Jesus. He’ll help.

Wisdom Will Guide You

If asked what is the worst shipwreck of all time, what would you reply? There are some monumental and legendary ones: the Lusitania (1915); the Andrea Doria (1956); the Edmund Fitzgerald (1975). Perhaps you would readily say, “The Titanic.” While certainly one of the most well-known, the sinking of the Titanic (1912) was not the world’s worst shipwreck. On April 27, 1865, the steamship, Sultana (with the capacity of only a few hundred people) was transporting 2500 Union prisoners-of-war home at the end of the Civil War. The ship’s boiler exploded, killing 1500 men, just as their ordeal of battle was about to end. In 225 B.C. off the coast of Camarina, Sicily, a Roman fleet of 264 ships was caught in a violent storm. Of those, 184 ships were driven onto rocks and sank. The death toll from this disaster is thought to have been 80,000 to 100,000 souls. However, even these (labeled the worst shipwrecks in America and world history respectively) were not the worst shipwrecks to occur throughout the history of mankind.

[Psalm 40] Sadly, the worst shipwreck has happened countless times and is sure to happen again and again. Paul spoke of it to Timothy: “Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you might fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith” (1 Timothy 1:18-19). There is no greater disaster than a shipwrecked faith. Many things can bring about this cause. Jesus spoke of those who are choked by the cares and riches of this world (Parable of the Sower: Matthew 13:22). Demas forsook Paul, “...because he loved this world, has deserted me...” (2 Timothy 4:10a). “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (1 Timothy 6:10). Conformation to the world (Romans 12:2) and the love for the same (1 John 2:15-17) have likewise caused the way to be littered with the carcasses of once strong souls navigating life. What about you? Is your “ship” faithfully sailing? Or, is it headed for the dangerous rocky shoreline? The book of Proverbs contains great insight for navigating life and avoiding faith shipwreck. Proverbs is divided into 31 chapters, just enough to average one chapter a day each month. The proverbs have been written to give us wisdom and understanding with which anyone can safely navigate life and reach the safe harbor. Perhaps you’re already headed for an unsafe landing. It’s not too late to find the safe sailing lanes again. Determine to set your sails and turn your helm toward faithfulness. Avoid the worst shipwreck of all. “...Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Rev. 2:10c).

“The road is too rough, Dear Lord,” I cried; “There are stones that hurt me so.” And He said, “I understand; I walked it long ago.” “But there is a cool green path,” I said, “let me walk there for a time.” “No,” He answered me, “the green road does not climb.” “My burden is too great,” I said, “How can I bear it so?” “I remember its weight,” He said, “I carried my cross, you know.” “I wish there were friends with me, who would make my way their own.” “Ah, yes,” He said, “Gethsemane was hard to bear alone.” And so I climbed the stony path, content at last to know, that where my Master had not gone I would not have to go. And, strangely, I found new friends; the burden grew less sore, as I remembered long ago He went that way before. Wisdom gives safe passage (Proverbs 2).