Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Bible Lessons For Today

"In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit." -- Judges 17:6 and Judges 21:25

This statement leapt out at me -- twice -- in the book of Judges. Isn't that how it is today? Each of us does as he or she sees fit. We don't worry about anyone or anything but ourselves and our own needs and wants.

The Bible reveals again and again the hilly terrain this causes. The Israelites would sin. They would worship idols. They would betray God. Then they would end up in deep despair, desperate for relief from a misery of their own making. They would cry out to God. He would have pity on them and come to their aid. They would rejoice and vow to follow and serve God, and God alone, always. Then they would betray Him again...and again.

Sound familiar? The Bible is a living record of what was and what will be. You and I sin just like the Israelites did. Oh, we may not cast an idol and worship it. Instead, we choose money, prestige, or some other thing. We lie. We steal. We ignore others' needs in favor of our own.

Not me, you say. Stop and think for a moment. Did you tell your friend she looked great when in reality her new outfit adds an extra 10 pounds she really doesn't need? Oh, that was different wasn't it. You just wanted to spare her feelings. A lie is a lie, no matter the intention.

Same goes for fudging on your taxes. Everyone does it, you say. It doesn't make it right or honest. Lying to Uncle Sam is lying just the same.

So is stealing. "Borrowing" a pen from work is taking something that doesn't belong to you. Same goes for when you conduct personal business on company time. It may be "acceptable" but it is stealing time that your employer is paying for.

How many times have we turned away when someone needed our help? We don't have time to cook and deliver a casserole to someone who is sick. We aren't available for lunch with a friend who is desperately lonely after a bitter divorce. We rationalize our lack of volunteer activity, our failure to tithe regularly, our focus on self as being normal and healthy. We meet our needs first and we're happy to give whatever is left -- except there's rarely anything left to give to anyone else.

Maybe someday someone will write about us "everyone did as he saw fit."