Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Following directions might be...

the solution to bring about world peace. At least in our schoolwork, following directions could bring peace to a particular child and this mom.

Time and again, one of my sons persists in skipping right over the directions or instructions of his assignment in an attempt to get something on paper. His frustration at having to re-do the assignment is proportional to my own exasperation that once again he ignored the directions. The multiplied effect is that prior to the assignment I specifically instruct that he read the directions first.

It's two times of neglecting to pay attention to the instructions.

And there are lots of tired stories about the man (okay, or woman) putting together a cabinet and not reading the directions. Those stories alone created the etymology for "catty-wompus".

But the most severe examples of consequences attached to not following directions exist in the lives of God's people choosing to disobey His Word's instructions for faith and life. I can speak personally to this. You can too. There is no peace found in not following His directions.

And just like this parent, my Heavenly Father requires that I acknowledge my error and re-do the assignment He gave. Confess, forgive, reconcile and then, walk worthy of the manner to which I was called. There can be no mere getting something down on the paper that suffices before the Lord. He rightly requires more.

Father, please continue to show grace to the child known as me to learn how to follow Your directions, the very first time.

4 comments:

  1. I've been praying from Ps. 27 (and reading a book of meditations on it as well by Paul Tripp)..."Teach me Your way, O Lord"

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  2. Great illustration for this truth. I'm one of the worst offenders of not reading and following directions...ugh.

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  3. Humbling thoughts, Elle. Who am I to be so impatient with those around me?

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  4. I can tell you with absolute certainty that I've made the biggest messes in my life when I rushed full steam into something without seeking the Lord first. Always because I was so sure I knew what I was doing...

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