Sometimes Life is Like a Modem

By Ed Jordan

I have had a pretty frustrating week. My Internet access stopped working on Monday. I have grown accustomed to instant access to a world beyond my physical location. Through the Internet we stay in touch with friends in many countries, as well as in many states.

Through the Internet we get the latest information on subjects of interest, or obtain current or long-range weather reports. Via the Internet we also send and receive many emails and files. Well, all of that came to a screeching halt on Monday. While my computer continues to function, I no longer have access to the Internet.

Loss of connectivity made me feel isolated, uncertain, and frustrated. I looked at my modem with three out of four lights lit. It had power. It had DSL connection through the phone line. It had a physical connection to my computer. But the light indicating connection to the Internet remained dark. I spent numerous hours on three different days with different service technicians trying to get the modem to connect in reality, rather than just electronically. We were not successful.

I had a good laugh with one of the technicians in the middle of my grief. She said, “It is like the modem is physically connected, but there is no brain activity.” I laughed and replied, “That is too often the story of my life! I am physically present but my brain is elsewhere.” We both had a good laugh over that.

However, there is a great object lesson in this modem scenario. With a cursory look the modem appears to be functioning and alive. The phone company, seeing it returning their signal, believes it is alive. The modem sees itself as well. When you re-boot it, it will go through all the steps required in being back to functioning form, until it gets to the last step of really being connected to the Internet.

I thought of what the technician had said. In many ways the modem was “alive” and “active.” However, in the one very important area for which it exists, i.e. the function of connecting a computer to other computers over the Internet, it was dead. It looked alive. It acted alive. But it was functionally dead. The lights were on, but nobody was home.

The Bible says that until we establish connection with Jesus, we are dead. This sounds very oxymoronic. How can a person who is active, walking around, and has most of his/her lights on, be dead? My response is: “How can a modem that looks intact and is connected electronically to the phone company like a fully functional one, be dead?” Yet it is. How many people today know they are physically alive and physically here, but have no awareness of God or of the life that could be theirs by connecting to Him through Jesus?

Nicodemus (cf. John 3) was a rich and powerful man, a ruler of the Jews. He was also a moral and religious man. Yet, he sensed that something was missing from His life. Most of his lights were on, but connectivity to God was missing. He came to Jesus to get some questions answered. In John 3:5-7 (HCSB) we read: “Jesus answered, “I assure you: Unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I told you that you must be born again.”

Life is more than physical existence. We need to be inhabited by the Spirit of God, i.e., to be born again into connectivity with God. Then when we are re-booted and get to the last step of connecting to God, we become aware that we are indeed connected to God and God’s whole universe opens up to us. When we are actively connected to God, we can begin to fulfill the functions for which we exist.

Are you like my modem? Are you physically alive, but internally empty? Are you connected to religious people or institutions, but not yet connected to God Himself? Are you going through life with an awareness of physical existence, but no awareness of being connected to God or to life in the kingdom of God?

If so, unlike my modem, you have a choice. You can invite Jesus to come into your life, to give you new birth and connectivity to God. When you do, a whole new universe will open up to you. God’s kingdom makes the Internet pale by comparison.

We will harvest what we plant

By Ed Jordan

I am startled by the trend occurring in American culture, where many people are fixated only on momentary feelings or impulse decisions. Few people seem to think through the implications of a decision or action to evaluate its long-term effects. Many are busy planting seeds, but without ever considering the type of seeds they are planting, or what will grow from those seeds, or what they will do with the plants that grow from their seeds.

The Bible warns us to be careful about the kind of seeds we are planting. “Don’t be misled --- you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant.” (cf. Galatians 6:7, NLT). We will reap what we sow.

The kind of seeds we plant will produce plants of that same type. We are deluded when we expect a seed we plant to miraculously produce a totally different product than the seed type. The nature of the seed we plant determines the nature of the product it will produce.

This truth is valid in various areas of life. It is true in agriculture and gardening. If we plant corn then corn, and not tomatoes, will grow from those seeds. If we want tomatoes, we have to plant tomato seeds. The plant that grows out of the seed depends upon the nature of the seed that is planted.

This principle applies to what we contribute to relationships as well. If we plant mistrust about others, mistrust grows and we will not be trusted. If we plant trust by trusting others, trust grows and others trust us. If we plant camaraderie, camaraderie grows. If we treat others with disrespect, they will disrespect us. If we respect and honor others, they will likely respect and honor us. If we want our relationships to become all that we dream they can, we must plant quality relational seeds in others first.

Reaping what one sows is also true in developing a successful business. If we want to build loyal clients, we must plant seeds of honesty, generosity, and dependability. Andre Rieu is a musician who has worldwide success, and an incredible fan-base. One reason he is so successful is that he always gives the customers a quality product, and he gives them more than their money’s worth. At his concerts, he will play another half-hour after everyone already thinks that the concert is over.

If we want clients who value the quality of our service or product, we must make sure that our service and/or product has consistent quality, and gives a little more than was expected. Clients return because when they feel that they got their money’s worth, plus a little more. A business grows based upon the seeds that the business plants.

The principle is true in education. If we teach students to analyze and think, some will become analytical thinkers. If we present them with both sides of an issue and train them to be objective in working through the issues, they will become better decision makers. If we plant seeds of self-starting, many will become self-starters.

This ‘harvesting what we plant’ principle is true in our own spiritual lives as well. This Bible verse goes on to say that a person who only plants seeds in his/her physical existence, ignoring God and eternity, will reap in the body a harvest of what was planted. However, those who plant God’s truth and faithfulness in their souls, will obtain a spiritual harvest of what they planted. What we plant in our souls is what will grow there. If you never plant anything in your soul, nothing grows there.

Take a few minutes to evaluate what type of seeds you are planting in the various gardens of your life. Before we plant any seed, we ought to pay serious attention to the type of seed we are planting, and what therefore will grow from it. What seeds are you planting that will grow the values of God in your life and in the lives of others? What kinds of seeds are you planting in your loved ones’ and children’s lives?

We must not fool ourselves: We will get back the same kind of product as the seeds we plant, as certain as a tomato seed always produces a tomato plant.

Planting Time: The timing of seed planting influences its success

By Ed Jordan

Spring is here. Many of us are spending time preparing the soil for planting. There are certain principles that remain consistent in the process of planting seeds. In the next few articles we will look at some of these principles, which are not just true in agriculture. They are also true in our relationships, in our families, in our business dealings, in our education systems, in our nation, in politics… etc., etc.

There are many areas of our lives where we plant seeds that will come up later, and produce a crop. Timeless truth is valid in many areas of life. This is the reason the Christian message is always so relevant. Today, we will focus on the principle regarding the timing of seed planting.

As we begin this series, we must acknowledge that while these principles are timelessly true, there are many factors that can disrupt the natural production cycle of a crop’s harvest. For example, in Idaho you can wait until the proper time to plant your crop and still lose the crop due to a bizarre summer snow or hail storm. But generally there is a time to plant that is safely after the high probability of frost damage. Keep these variables in mind as throughout this series of articles.

Which of us has not enjoyed the warming of spring days, the appearance of blue skies, and experiencing sun-bathed days? I am writing this article during the first week of April, but I am already itching to plant my tomato plants so that the tomatoes have enough time to ripen. You can shake your head and tell me not to do it, but you have the urge, too!

How many times do we fight off that urge, and then finally decide that we have had three weeks of sunshine, so it must be time to plant. We get out in the garden and transplant our little plants into the great outdoors. Two days later we go out to see lifeless stems where there were vibrant little plants. It seems to always be too early to plant our plants here.

The locals talk about waiting until the snowy 7 is gone from the mountain as the guideline for planting. For several years I have waited, and still lost my plants to cold nights. So the timing of our planting, or transplanting, is really crucial to the success we will have in our gardens.

Timing is important in most areas of life. Ecclesiastes 3:1 (HSCB) states: “There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven:” then continues in verse 2 with “A time to give birth and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to uproot (literally ‘uproot what is planted’).”

There is a time that is fairly ideal for each event. There is an ideal time to propose marriage. There is an ideal time for teaching and learning. In parenting, we speak of using daily events that occur as teaching points or times. Events are often the catalyst of a teaching opportunity.
The teaching point concept means that if a child is asking questions about a particular theme, they are in the mood to learn about that theme. Such a time is normally the best time to address it, because they desire to know and are more teachable at that time. However, the content you discuss with them must always be age appropriate for the child.

This does not mean that we don’t teach our children at other times. We do. We are constantly teaching them through our attitudes, our behavior, and our conversations. But there are ideal times as well.

There are ideal times to discuss a problem in your marriage that needs to be worked on. At two in the morning is rarely that time. There is an ideal time to ask the boss for a raise or reassignment.

The best time to ask forgiveness from someone is as near in proximity to the offence as possible. The longer you wait, the more bad feelings and bitterness develop. It is never easy to admit our mistakes, but it is easier to do it sooner, than later.

There is a time to plant values and proper ideals into our children, and a time when it may be too late. There is a time to seek God. God says that “now” is always the ideal time to seek Him. What is it time for you to be doing?

Is Christ Being Formed in You?

I had a very nostalgic experience this month. I went into a farm supply store and saw something I hadn’t seen since my childhood. There on the floor were some feed troughs with lamps attached to them. I had to go look, to see if I was really seeing what I thought it was. As I leaned over to look into the trough, there were the representatives of new life basking in the warmth of the light.

A huge smile came to my face. I instantly was transported hundreds of miles to the south of here, and several decades into the past. One of the wonderful experiences I had each spring was to see my dad bring home a couple of boxes of baby chicks, carrying them in cardboard boxes with straw in the bottom. We would set them up in a place where we could put electric lights near them, shining the heat into the boxes. Their excitement with life, their cheeping, their hunger to grow and live, all were evident in these little chicks.

It is an amazing process, when you think about it. Fertilization occurs, a chick embryo begins to form and develop in the yolk sac. Heat keeps the process going. The yolk sac provides nourishment for the chick’s development within the shell. When the chick is ready to emerge from the shell of the egg, it eats the last of its yolk sac and has food for the transition. It then breaks through the shell, and rests to regain its strength and dry out. Then the little chick begins to develop further in its life cycle, growing quite quickly and developing feathers that can keep it warm without the lamps.

About the same time as I encountered this nostalgic event, I read a little devotional by F.B. Meyer where he commented on Galatians 4:19 (HCSB), which says: “My children, again I am in the pains of childbirth for you until Christ is formed in you.” He said that a person becoming more like Christ follows a process similar to the development of a chick in an egg. When the process begins, the yolk sac is the greater percentage of the substance present there. But as the embryo grows, the chick becomes a greater portion than the yolk. The yolk decreases, while at the same time the embryo is growing.

In a similar way, when a person first receives Christ, our old nature makes up the major content and force of our lives. But the more Christ is formed within us, the more the life of Christ becomes the dominant presence in our lives. Christ being formed in us is a process whereby everyday our lives are becoming more like Christ, and less like our old life.

Paul was concerned that the life of Christ be formed inside every person who becomes a believer in Christ. The Christian life is not just to be ascription to propositional truths about Jesus. The Christian life is inviting Christ to enter our lives and be dynamically formed within us. It is the process of Christ growing inside of a person until Christ is the major substance of our lives, and our former self-centered, destructive life diminishes. The Christian life is allowing our thoughts to be transformed into thinking the kinds of things that Jesus thinks, our values to become the kinds of values that Jesus has. It is being concerned about the kinds of things Jesus is concerned about, and relating to others the way that Jesus relates to us. The Christian life is “Christ living in us,” and this is a process.

Jesus came to give us a new kind of life where He comes inside us to grow and be formed in us. We were like living yolk sacs, full of potential, but in practice just shell-bound blobs. Then the life of Christ begins to grow in us, and our old static life begins to be replaced with the exciting, joy-filled, mobile life of Christ. He begins transforming us to become more and more like Christ both internally, and in our external interactions.

Spring is about new life, new beginnings, and transformation. Is the life of Christ being formed within you? Is Christ or your old self-obsessed life the most dominant influence in your life?

Inside Out

We live in a time when large numbers of people are living their lives from the outside-in. They are driven and conformed by the things occurring outside of themselves, or by the people around them. For some this is merely perceived as ‘keeping up with the Joneses.” For others it is the total loss of self-identity by allowing other people or things outside of oneself to take the place of one’s own identity.

The following are a few of examples of outside-in living. “If my friends have a snow-machine, then I need one, too.” “If other people have a Hummer, then I should be able to have one, too.” “If my friends wear designer jeans, then I must also.” When a person is living his or her life from the outside-in, then his or her identity is primarily shaped by external admired role models, or circumstances.

This is not just an individual issue, but also an organizational or corporate issue as well. One of the things that continually amazes my family is how almost every mall looks like all other malls. The original mall concept caught on, and every other mall tried to emulate the original one. Another example of corporations being shaped by the external world is that one fast food chain “super-sized” their combination meals, so then all the others “biggie-sized” or “up-sized” theirs. Everyone is mimicking everyone else. Churches today are doing the same thing. They have grabbed on to one or two successful churches and then tried to emulate those in order to become “successful” or “cutting edge” churches. All of these are examples of organizations or corporations living from the outside-in.

Please realize that I am not attempting to “judge” this phenomenon, nor the people or organizations that have gotten caught up in it, but rather I am just trying to make us think about it. I was a teenager in the so-called “hippie” era. When I was in high-school I played drums for numerous bands, wore Beatle-boots and stove-pipe pants. To some degree, I was living my life from the outside-in. The truth is that we are all continually influenced to a very large degree by our external world and cultural environment. The key is to not let external influence cause us to lose our own identity and purpose. Identical clones are rarely appealing, nor needed.

So what is an alternative choice to living outside-in? It is living inside-out. In Romans 12:2 (N.A.S.B) we read: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” The word “conformed” means “squeezed into a mold.” Don’t let the external world squeeze you into its shape. If you do, you are living outside-in.

A person who lives inside-out invites Christ into his or her life and allows God to transform him or her from the inside-out. When Christ comes into our lives He changes our basic inner nature. When our basic inner nature changes then our values change. When our values change, our thinking changes. When our values and thinking changes, our behavior changes. Real change begins with inviting Jesus to live within us. Then we begin to change in every area of our lives, and it is a change that comes from within, rather than something being pressured or forced upon us from without.

The influential leaders in society are those who have the internal vision and core values to fulfill their unique purpose in life, rather than those who try to always be like someone else. The corporations that lead the way are those that set an internal course that shapes their organization and influences the outside world by their internal vision. The corporations that are always in second or third place are those that are copycats. They are not implementing their own internal values or unique contributions, but only trying to emulate the ideas or contributions that someone else is already making.

We should learn from others, but we should also learn that we are each unique, as are the people or the companies that we are admiring. We cannot be them, and they cannot be us. If we are always trying to be someone else, instead of being who we alone can be, then the world will miss out on the contribution that we alone could have made. We lose, and the world loses.

Do you live outside-in, or inside-out?

Life-Enriching Investment Principles

The beginning of a new year brings the opportunity to set a new direction for our lives. In this article we will look at five investment principles from Ecclesiastes 11:1-6 which have application in numerous areas of our lives. However, our focus in this article is how these principles can bring dividends in our relationships.

Ecclesiastes was written by Solomon, renown as one of the wisest people to have ever lived. His first principle in verse 1 is to “cast your bread on the surface of the waters for you will find it after many days” (NASB). This is the principle of giving or investing. Some people think that the image is of literally casting bread onto a lake or sea, and receiving bread from other sources in return. Others see it as a figurative economic image of sending your goods to market on a ship, and receiving compensation from them when the ship returns. The principle is the same, either way. If money is kept in a sack in the house and not used, it will not grow nor bring returns. If a person has talents, but never uses them to benefit others, those talents never bring any results. If we wish to impact other people, we must take some risk and invest something of ourselves into them.

Solomon also states that we should diversify our investments. In verse 2 he says, “divide your portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what misfortune may occur on the earth.” Financial planners lead people to invest some resources in stocks, some in bonds, some in savings, etc., so that if one sector of the economy falters, another might be doing well.

Diversification is a solid principle in most areas of our lives. People who only have one trusted friend are severely devastated should that person die, or leave. People with only one hobby find their life empty if something prohibits participation in that hobby. We need to invest our resources in more than one type of program or product, or more than one trainee or disciple, for if one fails, others may succeed. An old saying regarding diversification is “do not put all your eggs into one basket.”

A third principle is that actions bring consequences (see vs. 3). If the clouds are full, rain will fall; once a tree has been cut down, there it remains. So it is important to plan with a view towards consequences. It takes accumulation of water droplets into clouds in order for the clouds to later release those droplets onto our crops. If we never invest ourselves into others, then it will be unlikely that they will be there for us when we need them.

The second aspect of this verse is not to cry over spilt milk or fallen trees. Once a tree has fallen towards the North, it is ridiculous to spend the rest of your life bemoaning that fact, or wishing it had fallen towards the South. Go on to another tree or a new challenge. Don’t let past failures ruin your future.

Solomon’s fourth principle is: don’t let imperfect circumstances prevent you from participating (see verse 4). Life is not perfect. If a person waits for totally perfect conditions before planting the crops, the crops will never get planted. Some people will use any excuse not to get started on something. We once knew a guy who was in his early 40’s and still single. He could never find a girl “perfect enough” for him. One time he thought he had found her, but then later broke it off. When asked why, he replied: “I finally realized that her nose was too big.” I have not heard from the fellow in many years, but the last time I saw him, he was still single. Waiting for a literally “perfect” person leaves you alone and single; waiting for a perfect job before taking employment leaves you unemployed. Waiting for the perfect “anything” will leave you with perfectly nothing.

The last principle is to always be active investing your life. Invest in the morning and in the evening (verse 6). You never know which one will produce a return. I know a salesman who is selling everywhere he goes. He doesn’t just talk to those who have an appointment with him; he is planting “sales” seeds all the time. Invest your life in all kinds of people. You never know when they will in turn bless your life. I hope that these principles stimulate wise investment of your life in 2007.

The Saga of Humpty Dumpty

Humpty Dumpty was a Mother Goose nursery rhyme published in 1810. Maybe it is time for all of us to revisit the point of that little jingle. Humpty was an anthropomorphized egg, who sat on a wall, had a great fall, and couldn’t be put back together at all. Were these nursery rhymes just little clever poems to occupy a child’s mind, or were they subtle ways to give some wise instruction to our children?

Humpty Dumpty made the point that if a personified egg sits on a wall, and falls off the wall, it will be smashed into hundreds of pieces and no one will be able to put the egg back together again. The story was a call for foresight, because re-assembling an egg is a lot more difficult than preventing its downfall would have been. It was a way of saying that it is a lot better to avoid some situations rather than to try to restore a life after it gets crushed by those situations.

This is an important bit of advice for all of us today. It is easier to spend time building and maintaining our relationships, than it is to repair them after we have neglected them so severely. It is better to avoid destructive habits, than it is to try to deal with all the destructive ramifications that flow from participation in destructive things. It is easier to be nice, than humiliating ourselves when we treat others poorly, and then having to further humiliate ourselves by admitting that we had been jerks, and need to ask for forgiveness.

It is easier to study diligently now, than to flunk out and later have to try to overcome years of bad grades and habits. It is better to choose our friends wisely and be less popular, than to run with the wrong crowd and end up ruining our lives and reputations for years to come. It is better to say “no” to an affair, than to partake in the affair and lose the family we love.

It is easier to prevent problems, than it is to correct the aftermath of our debacles. So many of us get into trouble by jumping into some situation, or off of some wall, without even thinking through the ramifications of such an action. If we would think through the natural consequences of making this or that decision, before we make the decision, we would save others and ourselves a whole lot of grief. If Humpty had thought through the risk of a semi-round object’s ability to remain sitting on a wall, the odds are he would not have done so at all.

In the book of Micah in the Old Testament, the people were asking what it was they could do to please God. What could they do to remedy their sins? The answer is similar to what we have been discussing. “No, O people, the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what He requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (cf. Micah 6:8 NLT).

God’s reply was that it is a lot better to not sin to start with, than to try to correct the consequences of our sins. The problem is not that we do not know what is good to do, it is that we do not choose to do the good! It is a lot wiser to not decimate your life through destructive decisions, than to have to rebuild your life after you demolish it.

So, if we want to save ourselves a lot of grief, we are instructed to do in the beginning that which we know is good or right. We are to be merciful in our relationships with others, and to live day by day in a humble relationship with God. To walk with God is to relate to God and dialogue with God all through the day. It is to talk to God, listen to God, and do what God tells us is the right thing to do in any particular situation we find ourselves in. God most clearly speaks to us through the Bible.

The more problems we prevent by wise living, the fewer times we will need to use costly repair kits or restoration provisions. However, in the New Testament we learn that when we do fall off of the wall, we have a Savior in Jesus, who really can put us back together again. It is not a painless process, but it is now a possible one!

I encourage you to walk with God, rather than roll off the wall.

The Heart Of Thanksgiving

Next Thursday is one of America’s favorite holidays. For most Americans, Thanksgiving is a time to share a wonderful meal with relatives who travel to be together at this special time of year. Historically, Thanksgiving is a time of reflection upon our God, who has so graciously and faithfully provided for our lives. It is a time to recognize the blessings He has bountifully provided to us. As we reflect upon the goodness of God to such undeserving people as ourselves, we are led to understand that all that we have is in some way a gift from God.

Our breath, our heartbeat, our circulation, our digestion, our body’s waste disposal system, all of these body functions are kept functioning by the kindness of God. Our ability to work, to earn money, or to have a place to live and food to eat, are also all provided by God’s kindness to us. The ability to relate to our friends and family members in loving ways is a skill made possible by God, who placed that relational capability within our human nature.

So what is Thanksgiving to you? Is it stuffing yourself with a bounty of turkey, ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, yams, vegetables, and three kinds of pie? Is it catching up with relatives? Is it the annual barrage of college and professional football games from 10 in the morning till 10 at night? Or is it the day you spend mapping out your shopping strategy for taking advantage of the shopping specials on the next day?

I am not saying that any of these things are wrong. These are all elements of most Americans’ Thanksgiving Day celebrations. But in the midst of all of these things, there seems to be a missing ingredient. Thanksgiving is not just about delighting in the things we have; it is acknowledging with gratefulness the Source of those things and blessings. Thus, thanksgiving requires expressing thanks to the Supplier, and not just gratitude for the supplies.

We must always be careful not to let the things we have become more important than the One who gives us those things. Lifting our eyes to God and expressing our appreciation and gratitude to Him helps put our lives back into proper focus. The focus of Thanksgiving Day should be spending some time thanking God, the giver of all the gifts and blessings we have, for providing for us. If we don’t consciously make an effort to thank God for our provisions, then the Provider becomes eclipsed by the provisions.

Psalm 145 can help us focus upon the core of thanksgiving. The first part of verse 7 gets to the heart of Thanksgiving by saying, “Everyone will share the story of your wonderful goodness” (NLT). What would be in your “story” this year that would tell others of God’s wonderful goodness towards you? How would sharing and listening to one another’s stories about God’s demonstrated goodness, enhance the spirit of gratitude and thanksgiving this holiday time?

The psalmist was thankful that the LORD was kind, gracious, full of mercy, and faithful in doing what He said that He would do. He was thankful that God helps those who fall, and lifts up those who are carrying a heavy load. We should be thankful that God helps us when we fall, instead of scolding us by saying “I told you so.” Isn’t it great to remember that when our load is heavy, God comes to our side, and walking along side us helps us carry the load to our destination? How has God been kind, or gracious, or merciful, or faithful to you this year? What heavy load has God helped you carry this last year? Have you thanked Him?

We should also be thankful that God gives food as we need it. We need to look to Him for our supplies, but as we do, He opens His hand and gives us graciously what we need for our lives (cf. verses 15-16). What do you need from God today? Look to God expectantly to meet your need, and express gratitude and praise when He does.

This year at Thanksgiving, in the midst of all the things for which we are thankful, let’s not forget to gratefully tell God “thank You” for being the One who makes all of this possible! Do you have stories of how God helped you this year, or blessed you? Why not share those with others at your holiday table this year? Have a blessed and meaningful Thanksgiving!

Roadrunners and Coyotes

Did you used to watch cartoons? Still do, huh? It’s okay, I won’t tell anyone. One of my favorite cartoon series was The Roadrunner. It was always so much fun to watch Wile E. Coyote roll a stone down a desert mountain in order to crush the roadrunner, only to find the stone rolling back up the hill and upon his own head. If he shot a stone out of a huge slingshot to try to hit the roadrunner, it would boomerang back onto himself. No matter what kind of destruction the coyote tried to hurl upon the roadrunner, it always returned upon his own head.

We used to go to an outdoor ice cream parlor in Bibone, Italy every summer. This parlor had a large covered, outdoor patio area with lots of tables and chairs. At one end of this area was a large screen television that played cartoons every evening. It was hard to get a table or seat in that area in the evening, because kids of all ages (3 to 90) would buy ice cream and sit around for hours watching the coyote pummel himself with the stones that he had sent to crush the roadrunner. People would laugh until there were tears running down their cheeks. It didn’t matter if they were Italian, German, Austrian, Dutch, Japanese, American, Hungarian, or Serbian, they all joined in the laughter. Why was that cartoon so funny?

I think that it was funny because it so well depicts human nature. Sometimes people throw stones at others in order to keep the attention and examination off of themselves. Sometimes they are vindictive and really want to hurt others. It seems that most humans secretly like to see those who purposely try to hurt others, get their just desserts in the end. There is a sense of justice, after all, in self-initiated retribution. It is even more ironic when the payback comes from the exact stones they threw or rolled attempting to hurt others.

I also like The Roadrunner cartoons for another reason. I like them because they so clearly illustrate one of my favorite proverbs in the Bible. Proverbs 26:27 (NLT) says: “If you set a trap for others, you will get caught in it yourself. If you roll a boulder down on others, it will roll back and crush you.” That truth is at the heart of every Roadrunner cartoon. When we try to set traps for others, they end up springing closed upon us; when we try to undermine others we end up undermining ourselves.

This coyote stone-throwing or stone-rolling theme is one of life’s ironies. A modern American-slang proverb restates this truth. That proverb says, “What goes around, comes around.” Those who give out good will receive back good; those who give out hurt will be hurt in return; and those who attempt to deceive will in the end be deceived.

This theme can be found in many places. One of my favorite Hungarian musical groups is a band named Republic. They sing a song that says something to the effect that whoever throws a stone into the sky will soon discover that the stone has to land somewhere, and it is usually on your own head.

Why are we so slow to learn this lesson? We can laugh at it when we see it portrayed in the actions of the coyote, and even gloat at the stupidity of the coyote. We ask, “How long will it take him to learn that the things we set into motion usually come back upon our own heads? Silly coyote, when will he learn?”

Silly humans, when will we ever learn? Our unkind words hurt others, but will also come back to hurt us. Our actions designed to hurt others, bring reciprocal pain upon us as well. Sabotaging others is in reality sabotaging ourselves. Undermining our country’s leaders, laws and systems hurts us all. We are quick to see the folly of such behavior in cartoon characters, and sometimes in the lives of others. But we are very slow to realize that all too often we are more like the coyote than we want to admit.

So the next time you are tempted to initiate something hurtful, think twice about it, and decide to set something good into motion instead of something hurtful. Others will be better off as a result of the good you send out, and so will you. Indeed, so will we all!

Better Than A Genie

People are fascinated at the prospect of finding gold, finding a hidden treasure, or finding a genie in a bottle. We feel that if we just had “something” or “someone” to give us whatever we needed, our lives would be great. We all seem to have this desire within us.

If someone who had limitless resources and ability to fulfill your request, asked you to make one request for them to grant, what would you ask for? Would your request be for limitless wealth? If so, what do you think you would do with that wealth, and what changes would you have to make in your lifestyle to protect that wealth?

Would your request be for good health? Perhaps if one had continual good health they could live long enough to gain whatever they desire. Or would your request be for eternal life so that you would live forever and never die? What changes would come to your life if you knew that you would live forever?

Would you request awesome power or fame, in order to be able to change the world to your liking? How much power would be enough? What kind of power would be needed? Would your request be for political power, physical power, intellectual power, or supernatural powers?

Perhaps your request would be for someone to love, and/or someone to love you. That is a wonderful request indeed. We all desire to be loved, and to have someone who appreciates our love for him or her.

Many centuries ago, a new king named Solomon was ascending the throne in Israel. David had been a great king for Israel, had consolidated the kingdom, and had made it a fairly stable entity. David desired to build a temple for God, to whom he gave all credit for the blessings and successes of his life. God told David that it would not be his task to build the temple, but rather that Solomon his son would be given that task. So David collected many resources that would help make the building project possible. Soon after Solomon became king, David died.

God came to Solomon, and asked Solomon what one thing God should do for Him (cf. 2 Chronicles 1:7). In essence God was saying, “Solomon, I am giving you one wish. What do you want me to give to you?” Solomon basically responded: “Give me wisdom and knowledge, so that I may be a good responsible leader of Your people.” God responded by telling Solomon that because He requested wisdom and knowledge in order to be a good leader, instead of asking for wealth or fame, God would give him the wisdom and knowledge he had asked for, as well as riches, wealth, and honor as a bonus (cf. 2 Chronicles 1:10-12).

There is a saying that ‘knowledge is power.’ Knowledge as power can be used for building up or tearing down, for doing good or evil, for strengthening or weakening. Knowledge is obtained information; wisdom is the ability to use knowledge wisely. Information obtained, without an accompanying maturity and ability to use it in a balanced way for the good of all involved, is dangerous.

Wisdom is doing what God says to do, when God says to do it, how God says to do it, and in the manner or way in which God says to do it. Thus, wisdom is the use of knowledge under God’s direction. It involves not only what we do, but also our motive for doing it, the timing in which we do it, and the manner in which we do it. Doing the right thing in the wrong way, or with the wrong motive, or at the wrong time is not wisdom. All four elements are necessary for the use of knowledge to become wisdom. Many people do the right thing, but at the wrong time. Others do the wrong thing at the right time. Some do the right thing at the right time, but in a destructive way. Wisdom requires all four elements if something is to be done wisely. Wisdom requires godly correctness in what is done, when it is done, why it is done, and how it is done.

James 1:5 states that if anyone requires wisdom, they should ask God to give them wisdom and He will give it to them. May wisdom be at the top of your list of things to request from God!

Life's TradeOffs

Most situations in life involve a trade-off. What do I mean by that? Well, if you want to have a car you have to work to pay for it, to maintain it, to pay for insurance, and to pay for gas. So with the benefits of a car come responsibilities and expenses. Somebody might say, “I don’t want to spend my days working in order to have a car that eats my money.” That is an option, but then one needs to adjust his/her lifestyle to get to work without a car, get groceries without a car, etc. Life is full of trade offs. In order to have one thing, you must also embrace the side-affects.

Medications come with side-affects. You can take the medicine and endure the side-affects, or you can refuse the medicine because of the side-affects and remain sick. Some people want an environmentally friendly world, but also want the ease of life that comes from ignoring the environment. Some want a vibrant economy for a community, but don’t want the side-effects of having industry and good paying jobs in that community. You can’t always have one without the other.

In thinking of this concept, my thoughts turned to Proverbs 14:4 (NLB) that states: “Without oxen a stable stays clean, but you need a strong ox for a large harvest.” If keeping the stable clean is more important than feeding your family, that goal can be achieved. However if you want a great harvest to provide for your family and others, then you have to put up with some manure on the floor of the stable.

Most people want economic prosperity, but many do not want the unpleasant side-affects that accompany it. People want a great harvest without oxen, because oxen will eventually leave a mess on the stable floor and then we have to keep cleaning up after them. So the easiest thing (not necessarily the best thing) to do is just not to have any oxen in the stable. Then we won’t have to worry about keeping the stable clean.

This principle applies in many areas of life. We do not live in a perfect world, and everything we engage in that is positive also has some negative aspect to it. We like our area because it is a great place for families to live, but without good career opportunities our families move away. Good jobs are needed, but their presence makes it hard to keep the stable clean. So it is a trade-off. We might be fortunate enough to be able to choose a state-of-the-art ox that doesn’t give off much waste, but we must have the oxen if we are to survive.

Some people don’t like being single, but don’t want to adapt to share life with a husband or wife either. Some married couples really enjoy their mobility and freedom. They long for children but don’t want to give up their freedom to travel and play whenever they want. With children come responsibilities, a more complicated life, a need to enlarge the infrastructure (house), and income to provide for them. People with children also experience toys continually scattered on the floor.

The trade off, however, is the joy of watching your children grow, develop, ask cute questions, give interesting explanations, fall in love, get married, and carry on the things that you taught them were important in life. You can’t have kids without all the things that go along with them. But you also can’t have the joy of kids without the complications involved in caring for them. In the end, they are worth all the investment and added inconveniences that accompany them.

Life brings change. Someone has said that the most ordered and changeless place is a cemetery. To be alive requires continual change, and change requires trade-offs. If we want the benefits of a family, we have to put up with dirty diapers and messy floors. If we want the benefits of a college education, we have to study and learn. If we want friends, we have to invest time with them. If we want the benefits of a growing community, we have to put up with the trade off’s that come with having economic engines in our stables. If we want a relationship with God, we have to commit ourselves to spend time with Him and let Him shape our lives. Life is full of trade-offs. The question is, “Are we willing to make the trade in order to gain the benefits we desire?”