| Psalm 119:11 – “I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” |
WWJD. What Would Jesus Do. This phrase became popular several years ago, and soon was plastered on t-shirts, jewelry, billboards and just about everywhere else. The idea was that we were to stop before acting or saying something rude and ask ourselves what Jesus would do under these same circumstances. But how are we to know what Jesus would do if we have not read the instruction book he wrote for us? Or if we have not memorized his teachings?
When I was in college, I was one of those strange students who loved writing term papers. Researching, taking notes on hundreds of notecards, making outlines – I loved it all. In my American History class, we were assigned to write a paper about post-Civil War reconstruction. I glanced at the syllabus and thought I understood the requirements. Many hours were spent in the library, and I read any book I could find on the subject. I formulated my ideas and started writing – fully anticipating being done early so I had time to review and revise if needed. We had the entire semester to work on it, but I was excited to be so far ahead of everyone. A few weeks before the paper was due, I was chatting with one of my classmates who said he was struggling with the assignment, since it was to be written as if President Lincoln had NOT been assassinated – um, what? Not assassinated? Where did that come from? I played along with him, but inside was panicking. I could not wait to get home and look at the syllabus – and yes, there it was in plain sight. The paper was to be written as if Lincoln was alive! I’m glad I found out then before I turned the paper in, but now I only had a few weeks to re-write my paper, instead of several months. In my haste to jump in and get started, I had neglected to read all the instructions.
God has given us the ultimate syllabus for our lives, but it is up to us to read and understand it. When we are faced with decisions, we should either know the answers or know where to find them.
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father – thank you for the instructions you have given us so we can make the best decisions for our lives. Help us to not rush through those instructions, but to read them carefully so we can be confident to always know the best path to take. Amen
– Betty Gossell
