What's On the Test
I remember as a child seeing the old shows with Spanky and Our Gang. The old ones where the kids were being kids, and when they wanted to do something really important, they would say something like, cross my heart and hope to die...or I promise to do so and so, and they would 'solemnly swear'.
Honor code development...Whatever happened to honor or honor code? Ever hear people talk about someone and say, His word is his bond? Or the phrase, when this person says they will do something you know they will (or they'll die trying)?
Were we as a people ever more trustworthy or was that an illusion? Was it a decade ago? Twenty, thirty, fifty years ago? No one decade or era has the award for being an honorable age. There have always been shysters amongst us, and we still have honorable decent people.
Is it a question of we need to decide between, “people are so dishonorable, it makes no sense to trust them” and/ or “the only way to help people become more honorable is to trust them.”
Or is it merely that once you miss the opportunity to teach people to be honest, say when they are young, there is a point when the tree is bent and nothing can be done? In that case there is a strong need for parents to teach their children the value of honesty.
'Life is a test and this world a place of trial. Always the problems—or it may be the same problem— will be presented to every generation in different forms.' Winston Churchill
Some people do intend to deceive others and are truly bent. Have we accepted the idea that a little white lie isn't all that bad and slipped into not being able to tell the truth to our self or to others.
One of the biggest lies we live is, 'I'm fine'. This isn't the same as when someone asks us how we're doing, and we say, I'm fine.
Sometimes we are fine, but sometimes we say that more with knowing that people aren't wanting our medical history. They want you to affirm that you believe you'll make it through the next week.
The fine I'm talking about is the one when we think on a scale of one to ten, morally we are at least a five and morally, that's fine. It's fine with our friends, our families, and with our God. So we think.
Too many times we've heard 'God loves us just the way we are'. You don't need to wait until your perfect to come to God...
It is true that God loves you. It is also true that when you realize your need for God and your responsibility to obey and follow Jesus you need to respond immediately. Not later when your ducks are in place.
However, I remember a story about a couple who after studying the Bible learned that the Bible says to be baptized. They were duly obedient in repentance and baptism.
The preacher after they were dried off and welcomed into the family said, "Well, congratulations! We'll see you Sunday."
The person telling me was the woman in the story. She told me they were never so surprised in their life that they had just made a lifetime commitment. Since she told me this story many years afterward you will guess the outcome.
Immediately after conversion they were encouraged to live a decent life, but to quit smoking was difficult. She said one day she went out and checked the ashtray in the car. Just in case there was an unsmoked part cigarette still there.
She and her husband had been faithful for decades by the time of the story, but in the beginning, the struggle had been real for them.
They had been drinkers and—well, we living in a small town everyone knew their family's reputation as very bad before conversion.
She is also the one, that as we sat talking in their comfortable living room, waved a hand at the nice furniture, carpet, and wall adornments. She said, "God gave me all of this. Before, when we spent all of our money on cigarettes and booze, we had nothing. All our money went for that."
'When you understand that life is a test, you realize that nothing is insignificant in your life.'
Where do you put your trust? That's a difficult question, but honestly it makes all the difference.
