By Peter Hallett
Published September 18, 1996
One of the great myths of modern life is that we must have all
the answers. Knowledge is confused with wisdom and substituted
for compassion.
Suddenly nobody's game to make a mistake - even though mistakes
are the great learning experiences and character builders of our
life.
With the advent of television, computers and the Internet we pride
ourselves on being experts on just about everything (masters of
none?).
We love to hear academics, reporters, politicians - anyone - present
life in nice self-contained packages that require no further thought
or messy questions, no matter whether the topic is the state of
the economy or the origin of the universe.
This breeds extremely high expectations of others and ourselves.
Expectations of a life where nothing goes wrong, every step follows
neatly behind the next and the treasure lies just where we thought
- at the end of the rainbow.
But life isn't like that and we'll die of frustration or resentment
if we try to make it as squeaky clean and predictable as a McDonalds
restaurant.
The problem with this attitude to life is that so many people
stop growing early in life, spending the rest of their days thinking
they know it all but never really quite understanding what life
is about.
It is actually quite liberating to say "I don't know"
or "This makes no sense". And that is exactly what God
hopes you will do because he never really meant the world to make
sense without him being involved in it. For many people, realising
that life can't be squeezed into little boxes is the first step
to finding the living God who can't even be squeezed into the
universe!
Over the years I've watched our society discard God's principles
in the name of enlightenment and freedom only to discover the
same old corruption and darkness that comes whenever the created
elevate themselves higher than the Creator.
If you've noticed that too (just look around and you will soon
see what I mean) then there's good news. The Bible teaches that
God's strength is perfected in our weakness. In other words, it's
not the so-called strong that find Him, but those who are willing
to face their weakness or need.
Remember, it was a bunch of fairly average fishermen, tax collectors
and political radicals who Jesus got alongside and called friends.
He showed them that God's principles were not for bondage but
for freedom; that the law was given to highlight grace, not legalism;
that all people could be saved by one life given in sacrifice.
Let your questions lead you to His answers. If you would like
to know more or receive a fact sheet on grief, marriage, children,
heavenly perspective, stress, prayer, conflict resolution or transformation,
send a stamped self-addressed envelope to Faith to Faith, The
Chronicle, PO Box 7155, Canberra Mail Centre 2610. Or click for Fact Sheets available from this site.
WISDOM'S WAY: The path of life leads upwards for the wise to keep him from going down to the grave. Proverbs 15:24.