The importance of the pattern

We have all these great people around us as examples. Their lives tell us what faith means. So we, too, should run the race that is before us and never quit. We should remove from our lives anything that would slow us down and the sin that so often makes us fall. (Hebrews 12:1)

If you stop very long to consider some of the examples you have patterned your life after, you might just decide you fashion sense didn't improve, your financial situation really hasn't done much for you, and your relationship isn't any stronger than it was before. Why? They are 'faulty' patterns at best. We need to understand the importance of the 'pattern' before we just 'willy-nilly' follow it. I used to sew by pattern all of the time, but when I got confident enough, I often set out with the pattern and didn't follow the order of the instructions. That usually resulted in some seam ripping in the end! The importance of having both the pattern and the instructions cannot be negated!

The pattern gives us the 'pieces' we need to make our life, but the 'instructions' actually show us how the various pieces all fit together properly. If we look at our life examples again, we will see some very good things within those 'patterns', but they are only pieces of the whole. We need God's instructions on how to take those 'pieces' and use them within our lives in a way that brings our life together whole, complete in every way. Sometimes we find it hard to understand the instructions, much less figure out how to follow them. With some sewing patterns I used to get, if I neglected to really read the instructions from start to finish, I didn't understand the importance to the 'order' of the instructions.

God may not give us all his instructions at one time because he knows the importance of us following them in a particular order. He may not lead us to examples of those instructions all at one time, but he will unfold those 'patterned lives' before us intermittently so that we can see the instructions lived out in many different scenarios. Why? Life never comes at us the same way every day! There will be times when his instructions seem hard, but then we see the example he gives us of that instruction 'lived out' and we begin to see how the 'pieces' of his instruction guide us to live complete and holy lives. 

We each are unique, and we see God's instructions through the 'uniqueness' of our lives. Wouldn't it be a shame to waste the examples we are given, especially when we don't fully understand the importance of the instructions we have received in his Word? Just askin!

The total package

The wise are glad to be instructed, but babbling fools fall flat on their faces. (Proverbs 10:8)

How we embrace instruction tells a story that we may not always want to hear. The wise embrace it - maybe not with enthusiasm all the time, but with an integrity of heart that says they want to learn what God teaches, regardless of the cost. The fool will just babble about why it is 'too hard', 'not something he needs', or that there is 'some other answer' he must discover before he 'tries this one'. Oh, I hope none of us are like the fool who babbles on, but rather are like the wise who sit at the feet of Jesus and listen intently.

If we want to reject God's teachings, it is our prerogative. In turn, don't be surprised when the same lesson keeps coming around and around, maybe with a different presentation each time, but with the same 'heart intent'. God isn't going to let us just reject the lesson once and then say that is the way it will be. His grace keeps reaching out to help us 'soften' to the wisdom being taught. For many of us, lessons are caught and not taught. We find ourselves learning from others, not because they are smarter than us but because they may have taken hold of the lesson quicker than we did.

The fool babbles on - the wise gets quiet and listens. That may actually be a good way to judge how much we are willing to accept instruction from God. Do we listen first, or give an incessant ranting about why we don't think the lesson is meant for us? The fool may not see he is headed for a pretty big fall, but the wise will do everything they can to avoid any 'tripping points' in the path! If we take notice of the path before we take the journey, we may not choose that particular path. If we just amble along, expecting that all will be well, we could just find ourselves on a path that is way above our endurance!

My heart isn't always 'glad' to receive instruction - especially when it comes with correction. Part of instruction is correction. We need to know where we are 'making mistakes' so we can learn the 'right way' to live. While correction is not desired, it is definitely needed. The fool never gets to the point of accepting correction, much less admitting he needs it. The wise enter into all instruction with the knowledge that correction may just be part of the 'total package'. Just sayin!

A little fore-thought and intentional progress here....

It is always good to have a "recipe" or "instructions" to follow - especially when you are trying to create something you are not familiar with - new experiences demand solid instructions in order to not get things messed up along the way. The same is true in our spiritual walk - we have not walked this way before, so we need the "recipe" or "instructions" for how it is that we are to live. Today we will explore a couple of important principles - contrasting the way we should live against the way we often choose to live. Probably above all, we need to understand what it is that we are choosing to have "made of our lives" - it should be to be counted wise and to build a reputation that is rock-solid. Reputation is how we are known - it reflects either the wisdom or foolishness of our choices. Some people refer to a reputation as the "character" of a man or woman. Today's 'recipe' or 'instructions' is really focusing on what develops a "solid" character.

Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here's what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It's the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts. Mean-spirited ambition isn't wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn't wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn't wisdom. It's the furthest thing from wisdom—it's animal cunning, devilish conniving. Whenever you're trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others' throats. (James 3:13-16)

There is a simple contrast presented here: Live well, wisely and humbly - OR - be mean-spirited, twisting the truth, focusing on what makes you look good, but destroys relationships. It doesn't take a rocket-scientist to evaluate the "best" course of action when faced with these two sets of 'instruction' side by side. We want to be known as having made wise decisions with our life. Individuals who bring tragedy into lives of others are certainly known for their actions, but we would not say they have a "good" or "solid" reputation. The problem arises when we are faced with two 'recipes' or sets of 'instruction' on how it is we are to live. One will produce something 'close to' what we may want, but it won't be the same as the real deal! If you have ever tasted sugar-free anything, you know exactly what I mean! The most important portion of this instruction is that our actions and words should match. We lose credibility when we say one thing and then act completely opposite of what we just said. We cannot call ourselves disciples of Christ and then never spend any time or effort at being involved in learning what it is to be a disciple. We cannot say that we are ambassadors of Christ if we never make any effort to bring the message of reconciliation to others. We cannot say that we care for people, then engage in all kinds of destructive behavior that tears down others.

The "carelessness" we engage in pursuit of some of our activities in life can be quite frustrating when we see the outcome. We end up having to "go back" to "undo" our mistakes and to "redo" our efforts all over again. "Redoing" life is costly - we cannot make up for lost time, missed opportunities that would have existed the first time around a lot easier than they do now, and we often find relationships are just not the same once we have "damaged" them. The simple truth is that it takes more work to "redo" life than it would have resulted in if we'd just have taken the time to consider the result of our actions before we ever pursued them the first time around! Thank God that we have the opportunities for "do-overs"! I am grateful for each one, but it is apparent to me that the "do-over" cost more than I often wanted invest in the first place! I have had my share of "doing again" what I did not do right the first time. We've heard it said, "If the job is worth doing, it is worth doing right." If a relationship is worth having, it is worth "doing it right" the first time - and that includes our relationship with Christ. That means that we don't allow things in the relationship that damage either of those involved.

Much discord in our homes, work relationships, and even in society in general, could have been avoided if we were more concerned with maintaining solid character (both for ourselves and the others in the relationships). Relationships are much more complicated than some of the other 'recipes' or 'instructions' we set out to follow - but the principle of "connecting" correctly, with fore-thought and intention, applies within each and every relationship we engage in - including our relationship with Christ! Just sayin!

Okay, I need a manual on this one!

I read a little bit of a funny quip the other day: "Any product that needs a manual to work is broken." (Elon Musk) If we stop for just a moment to consider the wisdom in that statement, we might just be humbled right into understanding why God gave us the scripture! The scripture is, after all, the manual for living! That must mean we are broken - for the manual was written for us! As broken as we are - God has made a way for us to come to an understanding of our brokenness and find a way back to wholeness - through his Son, Jesus.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6 ESV)

Man does not always embrace this idea of coming to an understanding of one's brokenness, though. As broken, we see ourselves as "unable" or "incapacitated" when it comes to performing some task, overcoming some obstacle, or facing some challenge head on. We don't like feeling a little helpless. We want to feel like we have life by the tale, not the other way around. Maybe this is why we resist the idea of needing to refer to the manual!

The moment we recognize our need, that is the moment we recognize there must be some way to uncover how that need can be met. We set about finding whatever we imagine will satisfy that need - even if it isn't what God has designed - we will pursue it simply because it promises something we "think" will help us. It is all too frequently that what we thought was "designed" to meet the need ends up being something which is really quite the opposite - adding only to the complexity of our need in the end.

As so often was the case when growing up, my family would turn to me to read the instructions for a new game, or they would ask my advice on how to assemble an object such as a new bookshelf that came in a carton 1/10th the size of the object once assembled. They knew I'd read the instructions - the manual provided by the designer. It wasn't that I relished the idea of reading that detail, but they trusted me with the detail and that I could somehow put it into an order that made sense.

God doesn't give us his word just to sit on our coffee table or assume a prominent position on a bookshelf somewhere. He gives us the word because the product is broken! We need the information contained within those pages to help us understand where the pieces all fit and how they are all to function together - body, soul, and spirit - all uniquely made and purposefully functioning together in harmony with God's Spirit.

If we are going to ever be "assembled" into the work of art he created us to be, we need to reference the manual. Just sayin!

Some assembly required

Well, if you have never experienced the delight of shopping at IKEA on a Saturday afternoon, you have missed the adventure!  My daughter needed to exchange something she bought for her craft room and I just thought it would be nice to find a few things I have wanted for the kitchen to assist with organizing a few things.  Forgetting the utter chaos of what Saturdays are like at this store, let alone that it was the beginning of school season and folks would be flocking there to get those great starter furnishings for the dorm rooms, I agreed to go along.  Lest you think this was an "outing" to just "kick it" with my daughter and two grandsons, let me set you straight.  First, we had to find a parking spot - a challenge even with mom's handicap parking privilege! Then we had to find each other as we had gone in separate cars - one with her return items in it, the other with the family.  Upon finding each other, we had to wait until her "number" was called to actually do the exchange. Thank goodness for her wisdom - she purchased the next set of items she actually wanted as a replacement to the ones she purchased right there!  Alas, I still wanted those couple of kitchen items, so we also needed to traverse to the kitchen area to obtain them, but not before my daughter realized she needed to move her vehicle out of the loading area, resulting in us having to connect once again. With the waiting finally over, I imagined my purchase expedition would be short-lived, finding 'exactly' what I wanted with the greatest of ease!  You know where this is going, don't you?  Circling the entirety of the large warehouse space not once, but two times, we finally were ready to check-out.  Now, if you have never been there on a Saturday afternoon, let me just tell you they run all the registers, but the lines are forever long!  With purchases finally in hand, my daughter then decides to visit the little deli section where you can purchase candies.  Finally, we were all done!  Except for loading the new bookshelves into her truck.  With air conditioning running full blast in my vehicle in order to cool it down in the Arizona sun, the two of us loaded the boxes into her vehicle and made a plan to meet at her house in order to unload and assemble.  Yep, you heard that correctly - assemble!  When she heard I actually intended to come help her put these boxed items together, you should have seen her face - she smiled from ear to ear!  Why?  I excel at this and actually enjoy it!  Every part of it is a delight except one - trying to figure out what those stick figures are trying to show me to do in the instructions that come in the boxes from Sweden!  Have you ever noticed they make these instructions these days without any words - just pictures, arrows, and little stick figures showing you to use a particular tool to attach piece A to piece B?  I am so glad God's instructions to me come with a little more than diagrams - although the diagrams are nice - the words actually help to give a little clarity missing in the image!

Children, listen to your father’s teaching. Pay attention and you will learn how to learn. The advice I give is good, so don’t ever forget what I teach you. (Proverbs 4:1-2 ERV)

As I read through this passage again this morning, I saw something I had missed before.  A child listens to the teaching of the parent, no just to learn, but to "learn how to learn".  You see, we all begin with some form of "knowing", but it can be a little self-centered and too limited in focus to really help us learn fully whatever it is we are to develop knowledge of.  A good example of this is when a baby has not yet discovered he can trust his parent will return after the nap. In his eyes, the parent disappears around the corner and his world as he knows it comes to an end.  He cries desperately because he cannot associate the disappearing act of his parent to a re-appearing act!  It takes a while for his to develop this awareness - something he must be "taught" by having the parent put him down, leave him alone to cry a while, and then allow him to sleep, awakening to the knowledge of seeing his parent come when he calls.  He develops a sense of trust - something he has to learn, but he hasn't the capacity to learn without the parent being willing to teach.  A child (and even an adult) needs to learn "HOW" to learn.  Learning occurs in life-circumstances, but we have to be open to getting the most out of them.  Learning also occurs while being instructed, but we have to be paying attention to get the lesson.  It also occurs in those moments when pictures are being painted for us, but it takes us a little longer to "get" those lessons because we have to learn how this line blends with that one, until we finally see the image of what is about to come!

As I sat with my daughter on the floor, surrounded with shelves, drawer parts, a variety of hooks, screws, dowels, and that dreaded instruction booklet before me, she went to get the pizza to help us "boost our energies" for the task ahead! It isn't that she isn't capable of reading the instructions, but that I actually enjoy the task of figuring out what it is they are trying to tell us to do. Let me assure you, this isn't for the one who suffers from attention-deficit disorders!  If you don't pay attention closely to the direction they give, you find yourself unscrewing a lot of pieces you "thought" went together a certain way and then putting them together again the "right" way.  In doing these projects, I inevitably manage to select the wrong screw or "connecting device" at least once!  There are so many parts which are close to each other in appearance, but are different lengths or thicknesses.  The diagram or image just doesn't help us to avoid those errors because you have to keep referring back to page one which gives you the measurements of the screws and other pieces!  When you are on page 15, to go back constantly to page 1 seems counter-productive to me.  Why on earth can't they put the little diagram in the margin of page 15 to show you the screw diagram so you can just put the screw up to that picture and see you have the right one?  If I wrote those booklets, I would do it that way because it would help to prevent us from making those "assumptions" we were using the right part at that point in the project!

I share all this to remind us of the importance of "learning how to learn".  We all go about "learning" in different ways.  Whoever wrote these instruction booklets thought the words weren't necessary, the one page of size diagrams was enough, and the individuals who would be assembling the products would have the ability to interpret the pictures without problem!  In other words, they expected us to "learn" as they see things - from their vantage point.  I daresay, we all learn differently and we need to be taught according to our ability to learn. My method of learning is to see one, do one, and then I can demonstrate it over and over again with pretty accurate consistency.  In seeing, I associate the steps which need to be taken.  I actually like the "words" because they help me take the right steps - they "elaborate" on the illustrations I am given (what I am seeing).  I think this is why God gives us both examples (illustrations) AND the words (his truth in the Bible).  We need both because they help "cement" the learning - bringing the two together gives us a fuller "picture" of what we are expected to learn.  As a parent, he understands we need to be taught how to learn what he teaches - it isn't up to us to interpret his teaching according to our "plan" - he wants us to understand his plan and then learn how to fall in step with it!  (Much like the illustrator for this shelving booklet)  Just sayin!