We have considered the Road that a person needs to walk upon (see Chapter 6) and the Regulations and Requirements that must be obeyed in order to make progress, to grow up in a healthy way and to be successful before God (see Chapter 7).
Let us now consider our reaction to the rules of the road and our recognition of them:
How do you react to the rules God has given? What do you do when presented by rules and regulations (from your parents? from your school? from the government? from your doctor? from God?)? What is your attitude towards DO’s and DON’T’s? good? bad? mad? glad? bitter? angered? delighted? Do you react NEGATIVELY and resist and rebel, or do you react POSITIVELY and submit and obey?
Possible reactions to rules and regulations:
--a positive reaction for the good
--a negative reaction for the bad
--other reactions:
ignore the rules
be indifferent to the rules
deny the rules
reject the rules
etc.
--some may react by saying, "This doesn’t concern me" or "This doesn’t relate to me" or "What does this have to do with me?"
Of course people are convicted concerning the rules of’ the road. Who wouldn’t be? Without doubt, people are bothered by the rules and they are convinced and convicted that the rules are for their own good. And yet, very often they fail to follow the rules which they know are right.
Consider this example from school. Suppose a classmate were to come up to you and ask you these questions:
"Should I study hard in order to learn the most and get good
grades?"
"Would it be better to daydream or be attentive in class?"
"Will my knowledge of math help me when I get out of school?"
"To get the most out of my classes, what should come first, television or
studies?"
How would you answer such questions? Would you give good advice to this fellow student? DO YOU YOURSELF FOLLOW YOUR OWN ADVICE? DO YOU YOURSELF DO WHAT YOU KNOW (what you are convinced and convicted about) IS BEST?
The same would be true in the field of health. WE KNOW and ARE CONVICTED that we should brush our teeth, get enough sleep, dress warmly in cold weather, avoid an excessive amount of junk foods, stay away from too much sugar, get plenty of exercise, etc. If we know these things, why do we so often fail to do them? Jesus said, "If ye ______________ these things, _________________ are ye if ye ______ them" (John 13:17). It is one thing to KNOW, it is another thing to DO!
Consider the following:
"I know smoking is bad for me, but I smoke anyway!"
"I’m convinced vegetables are what I need, but I don’t like them so I have
few vegetables in my diet."
"I realize I should check the oil in my car so the motor will not burn out, but
usually I’m too busy to get around to it."
What does God say? "Therefore to him that ________________________ to do _______________ and doeth it ________, to him it is ___________" (James 4:17).
Read James 1:22-25. A man gets up out of bed in the morning and looks in the mirror and what does he see? His hair is all disheveled (messed up), he is in need of a good shave and his face is dirty! The mirror convicts him and convinces him that there are some things that need changing, correcting and cleansing. So what does he do? Immediately he gets dressed and goes off to work, forgetting what he saw in the mirror and doing nothing about it. DO YOU EVER REACT LIKE THIS MAN? The mirror (God’s Word) should stimulate you to action!
Some fail to follow the rules and regulations. Others follow the rules partially but not completely. For example:
"I usually stop at a red light but not at a stop sign."
"I don’t talk in class or in the school library, but I do talk in the study
hall."
"I go to church every Sunday but not on Prayer Meeting night."
The Bible is filled with examples of people who KNEW but who did not DO! Here are just a few:
Such a person is able to say: "I know the right direction and the movement that is certain and safe. I recognize that God’s way is the right and only way to discover and to delight in being a person. I not only react in a positive way to God’s rules, but I follow through and I progress down the road, being convinced that His way is best and it is the only way for me. I’m certain that God’s rules will take me down the road:
Figure 8-1
"I CHOOSE TO GO DOWN GOD’S ROAD
AND TO FOLLOW GOD’S RULES . . .
...even though there will be trials and tests
...even though I may walk alone
...even though the crowd will not follow and will not understand
...even though it may be contrary to what I want to do
"GOD IS MY AUTHORITY, NOT MYSELF!"
If we were left to ourselves, we would not know what is right half the time! Those who do what is ___________________ in their own eyes (Judges 21:25) are those who do what is _________ God’s eyes (Judges 10:6)!
Most people do not even know what road they are on or where they are headed! Ask your non-Christian classmates, "Why are you here? For what purpose are you alive? Why did you get out of bed this morning? Why is life worth living?" Then ask their parents. Also ask some of the elderly who are in rest homes. You will soon discover that most people do not know why there are even here!
A meaningless existence:
They go to school so they can go to college.
They go to college so they can graduate.
They graduate so they can get a job.
They get a job so they can make money.
They make money so they can retire.
They retire and soon they die.
Is this what God meant life to be (John 10:10)? ______ Do not be envious of those who do not know why they are here and where they are going. Do not be envious of those who are blind (Matthew 15:14). It’s wonderful to have sight!
The person who walks down the right course following God’s rules is a real TESTIMONY to others. Consider one who obeys the rules of the road. If you were to closely follow this person you would know what his convictions really are. You would watch him stop at the stop sign. You would see him drive cautiously in areas where children are nearby. You would observe how he abides by the speed limit. Just watch the way he drives and you will know!
As people watch our lives, they will know whether or not we have recognized God’s course as the only way. They will see whether we have followed God’s rules. The Bible has numerous examples of those who heard and obeyed and who responded by following the rules as they progressed down the road of rightness:
GOD’S WAY
THE BEST WAY
THE ONLY WAY
MY WAY
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