Articles
On the Other Hand
“On The Other Hand”
Have you ever noticed how hard it is for people to make a commitment today? Just the other day, I was watching a news report about possibly putting cameras in construction zones to keep the workers safe. I listened and watched as an expert spent three minutes explaining why that was a good idea. Then he said, “On the other hand” and spent three minutes telling the reporter why it was a bad idea. Yes, I know there are pros and cons to every issue, but at the end of that report the expert ended up looking foolish. It seems to me that many in today’s society have fallen in love with the notion that using many words seems to make them wiser. However, in Ecclesiastes 5:3 Solomon writes, “For a dream comes through much activity, and a fool’s voice is known by his many words.” I am amazed at the number of people who seem to think that using a lot of words makes them seem wise. When a simple yes or no would be the best answer, people tend to ramble on and on, eventually making no sense at all. When you listen closely to these people, they end up making no decision or commitment on the matter at all. Again, in Ecclesiastes 10:14 we read, “A fool also multiplies his words. No man knows what is to be.”
This attitude of talking with many words is a way of not really making a choice or a commitment to the question being discussed. Unfortunately, this type of attitude has crept over into what we believe about the Word of God. Somehow, we have been led to believe that the more words we use to describe a verse or event in the Bible, the more knowledgeable we have become. When in reality, all we have done is talk all around the subject and never made a commitment to believing the verse or not. In Proverbs 10:19, we read, “In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise.” We all know people who the more they talk the deeper hole they dig for themselves.
When Jesus confronted the Pharisees about making oaths, they wanted to talk all around the subject and never answer Him. Jesus said in Matthew 5:37, “But let your yes be yes and your no be no, for whatever is more than these is from the evil one.” When we make a vow or an oath, we must be committed to it and stick with it. When we commit our lives to Christ, it is a yes or no situation. We are either with Jesus, or we are not with Him. In Luke 11:23, Jesus states, “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.”
Are we truly committed to following Jesus? Are we “all in” when it comes to serving the Lord? Do our lives reflect that worshipping God is the number one priority for each of us? In Joshua 24:15, we read, “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve ………………, But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Will you make a total commitment to the Lord and praise Him and worship Him in truth and spirit?
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