MY MOTHER TOLD ME A TRUE STORY OF A
BOY NAMED TOMMY, ABOUT THREE TO FOUR YEARS OLD. TOMMY
SAT ON THE FRONT ROW OF THE CHURCH WITH HIS FATHER WHILE HIS
GRANDFATHER TRIED TO PREACH HIS SERMON. TOMMY COULD NOT SIT STILL AND
BE GOOD, SO AFTER MANY WARNINGS HIS FATHER TOOK HIM OUT OF THE
SERVICE FOR A LITTLE “BEHIND THE WOODSHED” TOUGH LOVE. BEFORE
TOMMY AND HIS DADDY PASSED THROUGH THE DOUBLE DOORS AT THE BACK OF
THE CHURCH, TOMMY GRABBED THEM AND CRIED, “PRAY, PEOPLE PRAY!”
I HEARD ANOTHER STORY OF A BOY NAMED
TOMMY WHO ALSO WOULD NOT BEHAVE. HIS MOTHER KEPT TELLING HIM, “SIT
DOWN!” HE JUST COULD NOT DO IT, SO HIS MOTHER SAT HIM DOWN
PROMPTLY.
THIS BOY SAID, “I MAY BE SITTIN' DOWN
OUTSIDE BUT I'M NOT SITTIN' DOWN INSIDE!”
TWO SONS. TWO TOTALLY DIFFERENT IDEAS
OF CONFORMITY.
ONE CHOSE TO DO THE RIGHT THING WHEN HE
WAS DISCIPLINED. HE PRAYED AND WANTED OTHERS TO PRAY WITH HIM.
THE OTHER CHOSE TO LEAN ON HIS OWN
UNDERSTANDING AND DEFIANCE DURING HIS DISCIPLINE, EVEN THOUGH
“OUTSIDE” HE WAS GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS.
WE ARE NOT MUCH DIFFERENT THAN THESE
BOYS. ISRAEL WAS NOT SO DIFFERENT.
THEY WERE TOLD BY THEIR FATHER GOD
THROUGH THE PROPHETS,”I WILL ALSO GIVE THEE FOR A LIGHT TO THE
GENTILES, THAT THOU MAYEST BE MY SALVATION UTO THE ENDS OF THE
EARTH”.
ACCORDING TO PAUL AND BARNABBAS, THEY
WERE OFFERED ETERNAL LIFE AND CHOSE TO WILLFULLY GO THEIR OWN WAY
RATHER THAN SUBMIT TO GOD'S WAY. THEY HAVE AND WILL PAY THE PRICE FOR
THEIR REBELLION. WE ALL DO...
I GUESS BECAUSE OF MY RADIO AND MUSIC
BACKGROUND, SONGS “BURN” ON ME ALOT FASTER THAN MOST. IN OTHER
WORDS, I TIRE, AKA,“BURN” OF SONGS REPEATED OVER AND OVER.
FOR A FEW YEARS NOW, THERE HAS A BIG
PHARMACEUTICAL AD ON TV THAT SINGS, “GO YOUR OWN WAY!” IT WAS
TAKEN FROM A POPULAR GROUP IN MY DAY.
THAT LYRIC LINE MAY BE CATCHY, BUT IT IS DEADLY---ETERNALLY DEADLY.
MAY WE EVER BE PEOPLE OF PRAYER AND
OBEDIENCE RATHER THAN WILLFUL DEFIANCE AND STUBBORNESS WHEN
CONFRONTED WITH OUR OWN SINFUL WAYS...
WHEN OUR WAYS CONNECT WITH THE
FATHER'S, THE WORD OF THE LORD CAN BE PUBLISHED THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
AS HE COMMANDED. THAT IS THE RIGHT WAY!
