Strange times we’re in. While there are many people that no longer have the job they held a month or two ago, many others now work from home. For those folks, the reality is that sometimes they just can’t produce the same quality from home that they’re able to at their normal place of business. I don’t advocate for shoddy workmanship, but it’s important to understand that if you’ve turned in low-quality work of some kind, all is not lost.
We’ve heard many times that God can take terrible things and use them for good. It’s like saying God loves us. We’ve heard it so many times we lose our appreciation for what it means. What if I told you there’s a story in the Bible where God used someone’s poor-quality work to both glorify Himself and accomplish His will at the same time? That might make you feel better when you’re unable to produce the same quality of work you’re accustomed to turning in.
There’s a story in 1 Kings 20 that has a funny little twist. The Bible often glosses over big events in a very short amount of time, and if you blink, you’ll miss it. In this case, the Israelites were at war with a numerically superior foe, the Arameans. Verse 27 says that the Israelites were like two little flocks of goats, but the Arameans covered the countryside.
The Lord was kinda mad at the Arameans in this engagement, so he enabled the Israelites to cut down 100,000 of their enemy in one day, and verse 30 says that the rest fled into a nearby city. Here’s where you’ll miss it if you blink: “But the rest fled to Aphek into the city, and the wall fell on 27,000 men who were left.”
Now, I don’t know about you, but I’ve never seen a wall large enough to fall on 27,000 men. In order to have a wall that big fall on so many people at once, we’re talking about failure at a spectacular level. The book doesn’t say anything about how that wall was constructed or what made it collapse; we just know that it happened, it was bad news for the Arameans, and it was all part of God’s plan.
Don’t misunderstand me, I’m not condoning work that’s intentionally sloppy or poor. If you can’t meet the level of what you’re ordinarily capable of though, do the best you can. There may be a divine purpose for that imperfection later on down the line.
Exiting an aircraft with Tony and his very recognizable jumpsuit
I’m certainly no skydiving guru. While I was a skydiving student, though, I had a few memorable jumps. I’m not sure what the requirement is now, but when I was working on getting my A License (the most basic jumping certification), the rule was that you had to accumulate at least 25 jumps and meet certain milestones along the way.
I was in the plane on the way up for my 23rd jump. The weather was turning sour, so this was the drop zone’s last load of jumpers for at least a few hours. We saw the cloud bank rolling in, and we were trying to rush up to altitude so we could jump out and land before the clouds obscured our view of the ground.
Another student named Jeremy and I were going to jump with our coach Tony. Tony was pretty familiar with us and we had all jumped together before. He wore a neon orange jumpsuit that was so bright it looked like it ran on batteries.
On a jump with Tony as my coach
I don’t remember what the freefall objectives of the jump were, but once we arrived at altitude we hopped out together and began going through our freefall plan. We fell through our predetermined “time to separate” altitude, so we broke apart to get some distance between us before we opened our parachutes. All three of us opened the chutes without a problem, but much to our surprise, the cloud cover had blown in much faster than we anticipated. We couldn’t see the ground anywhere. The only thing we had were our altimeters; we knew how high we were off the ground, but we didn’t know where we were in relation to the airport, so we couldn’t line up in our landing pattern. Since the wind was pushing us the whole time, the longer we floated aimlessly, the further off course we drifted, leaving us less margin of error for a safe landing at the airport.
Since Jeremy and I were still students, each of us had a one-way radio in our jumpsuit shoulder pockets. There was a guy on the ground with a walkie talkie that was waiting to spot us, and he would radio instructions about which way to turn and when to do it. Until we popped through the clouds though, it was useless for all of us.
Tony took the lead; he was the lowest jumper “under canopy,” so I followed him, and Jeremy followed me. I was glad Tony’s jumpsuit was so bright. It was eerie and unsettling to drift without direction in a thick fog. The last time we saw the airport, we were right over it, but the wind can be a lot stronger than you realize when you don’t have any visible references.
Suddenly we popped through the bottom of the clouds at a low altitude. The airport was impossibly far away! We had bled off so much altitude in the fog that there was no way we could make it back. Tony’s canopy had a much higher performance capability, so he made a break for the airport and was able to make it back. With our “vanilla” student rigs and oversized canopies, though, Jeremy and I had no chance of reaching the airport.
The dropzone where I learned to jump was home to the Guinness World Record holder of sport parachute jumps. Don Kellner, who just recently completed his 45,000th jump, was on the radio giving instructions to Jeremy and I. Don’s a funny guy; he doesn’t pull any punches, so he says it like it is and doesn’t sugar coat it.
“Well…find a place to land” came through the radio. Thanks Don.
We had blown way off course. We were now downwind not just of the runway, but of the entire airport complex, and we had a choice: land somewhere in a neighborhood, land somewhere in a wooded area, or land in a big rock quarry. Don advised us to shoot for the quarry.
When you’re a novice jumper, you usually have a flat patch of grass that’s as big as a football field to land on, and there’s usually plenty of other open space nearby (runways and the grassy areas next to them are usually pretty long). All of a sudden, a hilly rock quarry that didn’t have any wind indicators seemed like a pretty hostile place to land. It was the best of our bad options though, so we went for it.
With Tony out of the picture, I was now the lead in the flight pattern. I made a series of turns to get us lined up for what looked like the longest stretch of the flattest ground at the bottom of the quarry. We floated below the horizon and became committed to our flight path.
We both stumbled and took a few bumps and bruises as we tried running out our landings on the side of a hill. We made it safely to the ground without any blood or major injuries. After the canopies fell to the ground, we excitedly checked in with each other and exaggerated to each other just how truly awesome we were with lots of laughs, wild gestures to help relive the experience, and congratulatory slaps on the back. As we took a deep breath and looked around the bottom of this hole, we realized that we didn’t even know which way we should start climbing up out of the quarry. With all the midair turns we did, we lost all sense of direction and couldn’t even point to the airport or the nearest road.
Something tells me that we weren’t the first wayward skydivers to land in this quarry. Before we could even decide what to do, two of our other instructors, in their goofy neon jumpsuits, appeared on the rim of the quarry, shouting and waving to us. We were rescued!
Some general perspective on living: Life isn’t always going to go the way you planned. There are going to be times you find yourself traveling through a disorienting fog. Sometimes you’ll feel abandoned by the people you depended on (or you simply can’t keep up with them). In those times, when you’re at the bottom of a hole, someone might just show up to help you. They may not be what you expected, but it’s still an opportunity to find out which way to climb out of the hole.
We’re passing through strange times; it might not be a bad idea to accept a hand up when it’s offered. Keep your chin up; brighter days are coming.
I’ve got three kids. It’s fun to watch them grow, figure stuff out, and then teach each other the things they’ve picked up over time.
My older two have figured out that when they’re scared of doing something, whether it’s go down in the basement or knock on a neighbor’s door, it’s usually not as bad if they take someone along with them. As a result, their little sister often ends up going down in the basement or knocking on a neighbor’s door along with them.
Taking it a step further, the two older kids are downright brave if they’re watching out for their little sister, even if it’s something that ordinarily gives them the willies.
Ever notice how you tend to be more brave if you’re watching out for someone? You can more easily pull yourself together in a bad situation when someone else depends on you. When someone else relies on you, it takes you out of yourself, and you can rise above your fears.
There are a lot of very anxious people out there these days. If you’re one of them, the first thing I’d probably recommend is to ease back on the amount of news coverage you take in. News reports aren’t known for their soothing nature. Beyond that, though, consider mentoring someone or helping them through the unique circumstances in which we now find ourselves. If you’re focused on helping someone else get through a difficult time, you spend less time worrying about how you are going to make it.
Don’t get me wrong, take care of yourself first. What I’m talking about is the extra time and energy you might waste worrying. I’ve heard it said that worrying is like rocking in a rocking chair; it gives you something to do, but it doesn’t get you anywhere.
If you’re prone to excess worry, take a look around and see who you can help settle. It’s going to be okay, but in order for some folks to believe that, they might need to hear it from you.
You know, the world has been dealing with a lot of serious stuff lately, so here’s an entry that has no point other than to entertain you.
In Air Force Basic Training, you’re part of a “flight” of anywhere between probably 40-60 people. In my particular flight, we probably had 45-50 guys that all showed up from across America and got thrown together to live in two giant rooms for the duration of Basic Training.
In Basic, we had to travel all over the base on foot. Imagine mass-processing people off the street and turning them into professional Airmen. In order to do this on an industrial scale, there are facilities set up exactly for this purpose. Getting clothing issued, haircuts, physical training, vaccinations, eating three times a day, going to medical appointments, getting financial accounts established, talking to counselors about your career choice and their additional requirements…it all needs to happen in an orderly fashion, and the Air Force has become pretty good at it.
To get anywhere, our instructors needed to march us between locations. I hated marching. Flights would march four trainees abreast and the column would extend as far back as it needed in order to include the entire flight. The tallest people would be in the front, decreasing in height the further back you go in the column. As one of the tallest guys in my flight, I was always very near the front of the group anytime we’d be marching anywhere. That’s fine, except you need to be paying close attention to the instructor’s commands to turn left or right, because you’ll have less time to react than if you’re in the back.
I don’t know what it is about Basic Training, but it has a way of making people that are ordinarily smart into…well…people that aren’t smart. Honest, most of the time I’m a smart guy. Put me in Basic Training, though, and I overthink things, question myself, stumble over my words, and agonize over whether I sufficiently folded my socks. Things that are not normally a big deal become obsessions. I hated Basic.
I don’t remember where we were coming from, but one day we were on our way to lunch. It was old hat for us at this point. Our flight usually got “parked” outside the door while we awaited our turn to go in. As we arrived we could see the “parking space” where our instructor was going to put us, but we needed to do a pair of turns to end up there. This is where I almost got myself into trouble.
To end up in our spot, we could either turn left and then right, or right and then left. I’m not sure what happened, but I somehow got it into my head that our instructor told us to turn right, but the flight of trainees had started turning left. I could have just gone along with everyone else, but in my sleep-deprived state I must have decided that no, we were all going to be punished somehow for not paying attention to the instructor’s verbal commands. Well not this guy!
In a rare flash of independent thought at Basic Training, I decided to strike out on my own and break away from the pack. When the entire column of men in my flight turned left, I turned right.
This was an absurd sight. Hopefully there were no cameras that caught this moment. If there were, I imagine it got lots of air time in the instructors’ lounge. I marched at the same cadence as everyone else, but in the opposite direction. Our instructor either didn’t notice or pretended not to see me. He gave the command for the second turn, and I don’t know which direction he said, but I didn’t care anymore, and took the opportunity to start moving back to rejoin the flight. I met back up perfectly with the group and slipped right back into the spot I had just left.
I don’t think anyone ever said anything to me, and to this day I honestly don’t know who was right (though I tend to believe the massive group of people who turned left probably outweighs the single schmuck who turned right and was out there marching around on his own).
I guess it’s true what they say…I’ve always marched to the beat of my own drum. Thankfully it didn’t land me in hot water this time!
Hey, don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself. It’s rough out there these days, but things are looking up. Wash your hands and avoid groups of people, but if you think you can make someone smile with something as dumb as a story like this, go for it. We could all use a smile right now.
I’ve done two tandem jumps (where you’re connected to a licensed instructor) and 75 solo jumps. I’ve taken off in a plane 77 more times than I’ve landed in one. Cumulatively I’ve racked up just over 51 minutes of freefall.
To those that have never jumped, that might sound like a lot. For those in the know, though, it’s not that impressive. Seventy seven jumps is enough to know what you’re doing, but it’s nothing to brag about.
Contrast that with Don Kellner. He’s one of the owners of the drop zone where I learned to skydive, and is the Guinness World Record holder for most sport parachute jumps. In 2019 Don made his 45,000th jump! He probably doesn’t even remember the last time he landed in a plane.
I can’t find Don’s cumulative freefall total anywhere, but if you can measure mine in minutes, his can probably be measured in days or weeks. He’s performed over 10,000 tandem jumps; if he got 30 seconds of freefall for each one of those, that’s nearly three and a half days of his life he’s spent falling to the earth with someone else connected to his harness. The time he’s spent steering his parachute to the ground is in addition to that. Between plane rides up, freefalls, and parachute rides down, Don’s probably spent more than a year of his life off the ground.
Don and his team turn in his log books to make the record official after every thousandth jump, but in reality every jump Don Kellner makes is a new world record. Nobody has jumped as many times as him; every jump he makes is an endeavor nobody else has ever undertaken. Every single one is unprecedented.
I asked him once if any jump sticks out in his mind more than others, or if he ever had any especially dangerous problems during a jump. He recalled one jump where he tried to deploy his main chute, but when he tried, nothing happened. He then pulled the handle to open his reserve chute. Nothing happened then, either. Hurtling toward the earth without any functioning parachute, Don Kellner resigned himself to his fate. God must have smiled on him that day though, because one of the chutes shook loose and opened on its own, allowing Don to live to tell the tale.
He’s famous for not making a big deal of any particular jump. The folks around him have staged big events to commemorate big, round-number jumps, but leading up to it he always waves off the extra attention and says “just another jump.” It’s important to remember that jump number 45,000 could not have happened without jump number 26,373, without jump 999, or without jump 12.
Like Don, you and I lead lives that are record-setting in their own way. God calls us to a life of service in His honor. No two lives are the same. Each act of service we perform on Christ’s behalf, whether it’s something we’ve never done before or is the 45,000th time we’ve done the same thing, is unprecedented.
Also like Don, we don’t know how much longer we’ll be able to do the things God’s called us to do and what number “jump” will be our last. Sometimes we’re a part of doing something for God that’s surrounded by more fanfare, but most of the time our obedience is tied to things that are relatively unspectacular and rely on our regular faithfulness day after day.
That brings us to today. Each day we wake up presents opportunities to live for and honor God. Right now we live in very unusual times, which means we can collectively be faithful in ways we normally aren’t. I don’t know what that looks like for all of us, but you might already have a pretty good idea of how you can do the work God’s calling you to do.
Quarantines, social distancing, stay-at-home orders, and all the other recent buzz words result in a new (hopefully temporary) version of what we consider normal. There are a lot of lonely, confused, and/or scared people out there. In order to radiate God’s love during times of this “new normal,” we may need to take unprecedented steps to deliver it. From now until COVID-19 is a thing of the past, every day in a sense is a record-breaker in terms of the actions we take. We…you…are breaking new ground here, every day. Take the precautions you need to (and in some cases have been mandated to do), and within those parameters, have a look at practical new ways to love your neighbor.
And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ -Matthew 25:40
I don’t know if you or
I are going to make it through this COVID-19 thing. I bet that we will, though.
How do Christians band together in a time of social distancing and self-quarantines? It’s an interesting question, and it’s going to take some innovative thinking. This is where the world needs your help.
Ordinarily the term
“disruptive” has a negative connotation. “He’s disruptive in class,” etc.
That’s not the only meaning of the word, thankfully. “Disruption” can also mean
an upsetting of established norms in such a way that it forces a new norm. It’s
what happened when motorized vehicles replaced horses. Digital cameras replaced
film cameras. Cell phones took over for landlines. Amazon.com came on the scene
and drove a lot of brick and mortar stores out of business. The people behind
these seismic shifts are known as “disruptors.”
Coronavirus has
certainly upended large portions of our lives and caused us to have to readjust
in major ways. Schools and colleges are all of a sudden shutting their doors
for the rest of the year. Churches are canceling in-person services. Bible studies
and prayer meetings can no longer meet in the traditional sense.
People don’t usually
like change. Well, this time around, a virus is forcing change on us all.
Things are changing so fast that we don’t yet have established “norms” in the
wake of this pandemic. For a lot of folks a major burden of our new reality is
the loneliness and lack of in-person human contact.
We were created to be
social beings. It’s simply how God made us. Some people need social interaction
a lot more than others, but we all need it to some degree. When we’re suddenly
unable to socialize in the ways to which we’re accustomed, it’s a major shock
for a lot of folks. As Christians, we’re often reminded in scripture to meet
together regularly, to “do life” together, and build one another up.
How do we do that when
we can’t meet in person? I’ve watched church on my computer for the past two
Sundays. I heard recently about a church that held a service at a drive-in
movie theater. I think that’s a fantastic idea, but those facilities are not as
common as they once were.
This is where you come
in. I’m challenging you to think like a disruptor. Because this is an actual
problem the world currently faces, I’d really like to encourage you to provide
comments here. Here’s your challenge:
How can people still meet together to build one
another up without physically being closer than six feet?
Technology is a mixed
bag. Now we can have meetings without even being near the other attendees. You
have Zoom, Facetime, and Skype, and those are incredibly valuable tools in some
respects. Connecting two users isn’t difficult, but it gets a little more
complicated if you want to have a dozen people in the same meeting. Also, when
you’re stuck in your home, it’s a poor substitute if you’re facing anxiety or
depression (to be sure, it’s better than nothing!). What other ways can we
leverage technology to decrease isolation? Please post your thoughts!
The phone also works.
I’m talking about actual voice calls. Everyone has phones, but nobody calls
anymore. For some people, chatting on the phone versus sending an email or text
goes a long way.
Then you have in-person
meetings. These days I yell to my neighbors from across the street. It doesn’t
quite have to be that far, but if you want to honor the authorities’ guidelines
of having meetings no larger than 10 people, no closer than six feet together,
is there a way to make that happen feasibly? This might be a ridiculous mental
image, but it’s a thought-prompt; is there a way to have a dozen people sit
close together by building little plexiglass “cells” (imagine a scene from a TV
show or movie where someone is visiting someone else in prison)? What if a
dozen cars came together in a circle in an otherwise empty church parking lot
and everyone on the driver’s side of the car rolled down their windows to have
a discussion? (That circle is probably a little too big and everyone would need
hearing aids and megaphones, but can we make the idea work somehow?)
I don’t know what the
answer is, I’m just trying to get the creative juices going. Right now
Christians (and non-Christians, for that matter) need ways of meeting together
and helping each other up after they fall or get knocked down. A lot has
happened, and a lot of change has been forced on us. How can we implement
change on our own to make this situation a little more bearable, especially for
the people that need to be around other people?
“How does my idea
help?” Well, you’re reading this, aren’t you? I don’t normally have a huge readership, but you’re not the only
one that reads this. Your idea, even if it’s incomplete, can spark an idea for
someone else. Let’s say you have no ideas. That’s okay, you can still help
crack the code on this problem. Will you pass this entry on, either by
forwarding it to someone or sharing it on your social media?
You
are a string, but we are a rope. We WILL get through this…maybe
in part by using your ideas.
I believe all scripture
is God-inspired and useful for Christian instruction/education in some respect.
I’ll also acknowledge, though, that some portions of it resonate more strongly
than others.
Ever read a verse (or group
of verses) that really jump out at you? It’s as if that section applies
directly to you, and God had you in mind when He inspired the author to write
it down. It might be that this section of scripture can be identified as your
life verse. A life verse is a verse in the Bible that speaks to you in a
profound way, somehow has special meaning to you personally, or otherwise
reaches you in ways that other areas of scripture do not.
Sometimes you hear
another person’s life verse and you can totally see how it fits them. It makes
so much sense that they would have that verse memorized! Just because they
claim it as their life verse does not mean it’s exclusively theirs, though. I
like to think that if someone has selected a life verse that fits well, it
helps illustrate that verse’s meaning to others, who then internalize and
appreciate it in a new way. In this manner, a person can become a living illustration to others of
what God meant when He inspired that particular verse. In the hopes that
that’s true, I’d like to share my life verse with you.
Mine comes from a point
in Biblical history where there was a passing of the torch, and the successor
had enormous shoes to fill. Humbled, perhaps even fearful of fulfilling the
daunting role placed before him, Joshua knew that he could not take Moses’
place without the Lord’s help. Imagine Joshua falling to his knees, unable to
lift his eyes, saying “God, I’m so afraid!” It’s as if God reached down and
lifted Joshua’s chin with one finger and told him exactly what he needed to
hear:
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous.
Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you
wherever you go.” –Joshua 1:9
There are a few
different kinds of “fear.” There’s the kind when someone sneaks up behind you
and startles you, but that’s not the kind this verse is talking about. This is
the kind of fear that causes anxiety and gives you an ulcer from worrying about
it all the time. There are all kinds
of things to worry about in this life if you choose to. We currently live in a
time, especially as we seem powerless to stop pandemics, where there is much
fear. It’s okay to be afraid…until it stops you from doing what God’s called
you to do. God has a purpose for your life, and fear is not a legitimate excuse
for avoiding it.
I’m not in the business
of translating the Bible, and I don’t pretend to be. If I could paraphrase this
verse and put it in our vernacular though, I’d probably state it a little more
like this: “I already told you, hold nothing back! Don’t be anxious and don’t
lose focus, because I’ll be right beside you every step of the way.” It’s easy
for fear to get in the way of the tasks God’s called you to do, and it’s a very
easy tool for God’s enemies to exploit.
Because of the life
I’ve lived, the sights I’ve seen, and the things I’ve done, this verse
resonates with me in a special way. It encourages me to work toward not
blinking when God throws an enormous challenge in my path. I’m of the opinion
that I will always have doubts during those times, but God’s with me every step
of the way, and I’m trying to get better at not flinching when I “receive a new
assignment.” Assuming I have more tasks to perform on God’s behalf in this
life, this verse will help me when I feel inadequate or ill-equipped to do them.
What’s your life verse?
Have you shared it with others? Will you share it with other readers in the
“comments” section of this blog? There might be a verse out there that your life
can provide a perfect illustration for. That would fall under the “love other
people” portion of the “love God and love other people” mandate that God gives
His followers.
Hang in there, keep the faith, and wash your hands. 🙂
Due to the whole “pandemic thing,” there are a lot of disruptions in life, including the cancellation of a lot of church services.
Don’t let that stop you from learning about the power of Christ working in and through you. If you need a substitute lesson today, try this one. There’s no worship music, but it’s almost 40 minutes of learning about how Christ’s power can be increased in you.
Hang tight, keep the faith, and look for new opportunities during this once-in-a-lifetime event we’re living through!
Imagine you’re at the top of your game and you are successful
in everything you put your mind to. You have a great reputation, you have a
great job, you have a great family, and your volunteer work makes a difference.
Money isn’t a problem, and you lack nothing.
Does this give meaning to your life?
Long ago the world’s richest and wisest man took it upon
himself to seek out the meaning of life. In the book of Ecclesiastes, King Solomon
decided to investigate how to achieve fulfillment in life. First he tried
living a life of pleasure, but learned that this wasn’t the answer. He studied the
generalities of life and upon reflection was disappointed that death comes both
to the wise man and the fool. He implemented public projects on an enormous
scale, only to conclude that his lifetime of achievements could easily be
wasted after his death if his successor squanders what he inherits.
Very aware of his own mortality, Solomon realizes that this
life is short; it’s fleeting. We busy ourselves with many projects and
endeavors, but in the end we all pass through and then move on from this life.
Many times in the book of Ecclesiastes does Solomon exclaim “meaningless! It’s
all a chasing after the wind!”
The book is almost depressing; he spends 12 chapters
exploring different aspects of life in hopes of finding fulfillment, only to
realize that even our most notable achievements will be forgotten after a few
generations. Then at the very end of the book, almost as an afterthought,
Solomon abruptly gives us his conclusion. These two verses, only two verses out of the whole book, provide
us insight into what he’s learned. If you give up reading the book before the
very end, you miss out on Solomon’s “secret of life:”
Let us hear
the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for
this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every
secret thing, whether good or evil. –Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
After years of experiencing everything life has to offer,
Solomon concluded that your purpose is to please God and to live in such a way
that you will not fear judgment.
I don’t have the time or space to go into all of God’s
commandments here, but I’ll summarize them this way: love God and love people. Each
of these topics can have books written about them. It’s a lifelong endeavor, though;
there are always opportunities to keep getting better at it.
If you’ve got the “love God” portion down pat, it’s time to
“love people.” There are people everywhere you go. You know what I’ve
discovered? A lot of them are hard to get along with. It can be draining to
interact with them! That’s probably why so much of the Bible talks about how to
live and deal with others. Here’s the neat thing: you’re equipped to do it. You have everything you need to
do what you’ve been called to do.
For many of us, that calling has to do with making someone’s
life better somehow. That’s one exciting (yes, exciting) thing about the
Coronavirus-dominated time we’re living through…there are new opportunities to
love on people in ways that are not normally available. All you have to do is
look for them; you’re in the best position to see them and act on them.
Fear God and keep His commandments, and remember that He’ll judge all of your works. This comes from a lifetime of reflection from the wisest man who ever lived. Just a little something to keep in mind if life gets a little too meaningless for you.
There’s an old
problem-solving technique called “The Five Whys.” It’s simple in its execution.
You start with a problem:
We can’t go on the vacation we’ve been planning.
Ask: Why? (Number 1)
We had to spend a big chunk of that money on a car
repair.
Ask: Why? (Number 2)
The car broke down unexpectedly.
Ask: Why? (Number 3)
(Sheepishly) Because I haven’t been maintaining it.
The idea is that by the
time you’ve asked “Why?” five times, you’ve arrived at the root cause of the problem
you’re facing.
King David is one of
the most famous characters in the Bible. He had incredible highs and also some
very low lows. In the end, this “man after God’s own heart” was an imperfect
human, but he always sought God’s mercy and forgiveness.
His most famous shortcoming
occurred with a beautiful woman named Bathsheba. Here’s a quick refresher from 2 Samuel chapter 11:
11 In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem.
2One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, 3 and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, “She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” 4 Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her.
Bathsheba, of course, became pregnant. David made matters
worse by trying to cover it up, and when that didn’t work, he had Bathsheba’s
husband intentionally killed in battle. It took a prophet to confront him in
order to make him admit his wrongdoing. While there’s much we can learn
from David, we’ll focus on this tragic tale and try to apply a lesson to our
own lives. Let’s use the “Five Whys” with David’s situation:
David got taken to task by Nathan the prophet for murdering an innocent man.
Why? (Number 1)
David ordered the death of Uriah, one of his faithful warriors.
Why? (Number 2)
He had an affair with Uriah’s wife Bathsheba.
Why? (Number 3)
David saw her bathing on the rooftop and decided that he had to have her.
Why? (Number 4)
He wasn’t where he was supposed to be, fighting with his army at Rabbah.
And here we have the root cause. The text doesn’t say why David remained
behind in Jerusalem; it just says that he did. By not being with his army, as
was the custom of the day’s kings, it opened the door to temptation, which
resulted in adultery, lies, and murder.
While you may not be in charge of an army, there’s probably been at least one time in your life when
something bad happened because you were somewhere you didn’t belong.
The lesson here? Be where you’re supposed to be.
If you’re a Christ-follower, God has equipped and tasked you to perform
certain functions or roles here on Earth. Once you know what He wants you to
do, you can either run from it (think Jonah) or you can work toward it (think
Paul). The road is never guaranteed to be easy, but there’s peace of mind when
you work toward it. Running from it causes restlessness, unrest, and numerous
complications.
The simplest way to avoid all of that? Be where you’re supposed to be.
