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So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, . . . (NASB) Eph. 5:17-18  ne summer, a father told his sons
to cut down a small grove of trees and remove the stumps from the ground. The seven old, big plum trees were
located in the backyard of the family’s home along with blackberry bushes, poison ivy, and other smaller
trees. The two sons agreed to remove the trees but having never done such a thing before, they did not understand
how much time was required, how much effort was needed, and what tools to use. But they were eager. Their father
provided them an axe, a shovel, and a short saw. These were the tools required to achieve the goal. The youth
went to work, and the project was completed after many weeks of effort. When the task was accomplished, the
father and his sons burned the huge pile of trees, vines, and debris. The bonfire was a celebration of a job
well-done. But the task could not have been achieved without the tools and without a desire to use them.
We Need Help. In the Christian life, God our Father has asked us to glory in
our knowledge and understanding of Him (Jer. 9:23-24). He wants us to know Him! And He wants us to love Him
with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength (Matt. 22:36-39). These two things He highly values because they
are essential to a relationship with Him. Some people focus on knowing God and others focus on loving God.
But God the Father wants us to seek both. We cannot love Him if we do not know Him, and we will not want to
pursue Him if we do not love Him. We believe that a study of God’s Word will help us know Him; but when
we read scripture, we may find that we did not understand it. So some say, “Forget the idea of trying
to learn more about God - we just did not understand the passage!” Or, have you ever tried to love God
more? Can you generate a greater love inside yourself for Him? Have you tried? Have you thought about 1 Cor.
16:22 which says,
If anyone does not love the Lord, he is to be accursed. Maranatha. (NASB) 1 Cor. 16:22 The Greek word for “love” in this passage means that you are to have an emotional love for Him. This love is not an abstract passionless love, but a real emotional one. Yet, no one has ever been able to generate a feeling of love for another person by a decision of their will. So how do we do both - know and love God? The answer is not found in ourselves. We need some help - we need a “tool.” This is the first evidence that we need help in our “inner self.” |
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