Back to School

It's that time, again--Back to school!

As a part of preparing our kids for school, we buy the necessary supplies to equip them for what we hope to be a successful, academic year.  Notebook paper, pencils, computers, and a wide range of other items deemed necessary by their teachers and professors fill their new backpacks.  Imagine the absurdity of the children taking these new items to school, but never using them.  What if we send them to class everyday, they listen to their teachers, then come home and never mention anything they learned?  How successful would they be without studying and homework?  At test time, how ludicrous would it be to have another child study the material for them?  Or worse, what if we prepared them, but did not take them to school?

As Christians, we are guilty of this very scenario.  In America, we have free access to the Bible and we may freely attend the church of our choosing.  Yet, we do not study the Bible and we find every excuse not to attend a place of worship on a consistent basis. Then, we blame God for everything that goes wrong in our life.  He gives us every mechanism we need for a successful, happy life.  We choose, however, to do things our own way.  With full expectation of our pastor, spouse, family or close friends studying the Word for us, praying and fasting on our behalf, we are not using the tools in our own spiritual backpacks, our God-given arsenal.  In essence, we are cheaters guilty of the "fake it to make it" syndrome.  So, when hard times befall us, the proverbial rug is snatched out from under us.  Shaken and tossed about aimlessly, we fail the tests.

We are often under the misconception that sin only affects the person sinning.  This couldn't be farther from the truth.  Sin is like a fungus; it spreads.  It has an effect on those around us even on those we may not know personally.  I have heard it said that true character is defined by what we do when we think no one is looking.  Fact is, there is always someone watching.  It may be our kids, our spouse, our family, friends, friends of friends.  People in the grocery store or at the gas pump are other observers of our behavior.  There may never be privacy or secrets as long as Facebook and all the other social networks are around.  Sin can even affect our church family, teachers, and employers.  Likewise, a successful relationship with the Lord can be just as contagious.  A good attitude, kindness, joy, peace, and love can spread like wildfire.  I don't want to spread fungus, but rather I want people to see Him when they see me, smell His fragrance and not that of rottenness sin.  Proverbs 14:25 states, "A true witness delivereth souls."  That is what I want my legacy to be.  Joyce Meyer wrote, "People can’t see what’s in your heart. They can only see what you do."

Not so long ago, I asked the Lord in all sincerity, "Why do I keep failing this test?  Why can I not overcome these temptations that I have battled for so many years?"  His response, "You do not take the ways of escape I have provided for you."  I refer you to 1 Corinthians 10:13, "The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure."  Here He has provided, yet another tool to arm ourselves with.

We must do our part in this walk and He will most certainly do His.

2 Timothy 2:15 "Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth."