Ouch, Really?
| Ecclesiastes 12:11, 12 11The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are given by one Shepherd. 12My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is weariness of the flesh. Here is Solomon’s claim for divine inspiration for His writings. We should always remember that, while God’s Word is fixed and sure, like-well driven nails, sometimes taking that Word to heart can be like a painful goad. He’s not apologizing for this, mind you; rather, Solomon is simply telling his foolish son that God doesn’t tell us what we want to hear, but what we need to hear. We may not like what His Word has to say, but that won’t change the certainty of it. We can “kick against the goads,” like the Apostle Paul was doing, but we cannot overcome them. We may think to look elsewhere than Scripture for “wisdom” that is more congenial to our tastes – and certainly there is no shortage of such “wisdom” to be found – but that will only lead to more weariness and vanity. Unless our lives are circumscribed and guided by the Word of God, we are in danger of drifting into folly (1 Cor. 4:6). For the life of me, I can’t understand why so many contemporary preachers and teachers insist on tip-toeing around the hard teachings of Scripture in the presence of unbelievers. They know these words are painful and can be hurtful, so, in the interest of “not offending” anyone, they simply choose other thoughts and ideas, thinking to attract “seekers” to the Truth. We are not wrongly judging people when we talk to them about such matters as sin, repentance, death, the judgment of God, and eternal condemnation. Of course, we always want to put these within the framework of the story of God’s redemption, the Good News of the Kingdom of God; and we always want to be careful to speak the Truth in love. But Truth can hurt, and that is precisely what God intends. If we shield the lost from the goads and nails of the Word of God, how will they ever have a decent opportunity to come to their senses? Judgmental or passive? Tolerant or intolerant? Discipline and structure or chaos? When I worked in an all male juvenile facility before taking on the a staff position in a church setting, we had disciplinary measures, structure and positive and negative consequences for choices that were made. You are responsible for the choices you are making, not someone else. Over 80% of the male residents stated, upon their discharge, that they appreciated that kind of structure. After almost 20 years, I still hear from some of thos guys! Why? Ultimately, it demonstrates that someone cares and loves them enough to implement the structure. God loves you! And, even though some abuse the right, there are others around you that care for and love you as well. |
ETJ! (Enjoy Today’s Journey)
