A Lack of Depth

            During the winter seasons, the Great Lakes can become quite temperamental. When gale force winds are blowing, Lake Erie has been known to get waves as high as 25 feet. Lake Erie seems to be the most temperamental of all the Great Lakes. This is because it is the shallowest. Of the thousands of estimated shipwrecks, 25% are thought to lie at the bottom of Lake Erie. Lake Erie is 2nd smallest in terms of surface area among the five Great Lakes. To be more precise, Lake Erie accounts for 10.5% of the total surface area of all the Great Lakes. Let that sink in. Lake Erie which accounts for 10.5% of the total surface area has 25% of the shipwrecks. The number is disproportionate in part because Lake Erie is so shallow. Because it does not have as much depth, its waters become turbulent more easily. The result is a lot more shipwrecks. A lack of depth has led to disproportionate destruction.

            I think Lake Erie has something to remind us about ourselves. When we are emotionally shallow or lack depth in our thinking, it seems we have similar results. Why do we get so temperamental sometimes? I think in part it is because we lack the emotional maturity to handle the situation. Or perhaps we lack the perspective to think clearly. Or maybe we fail to listen. In short, we lack depth. When we lack depth, smaller incidents can turn the waters of our emotions into a turbulent sea. We fly off the handle more easily. We say things we regret. We hurt those that we love. I wonder how many of us have left a disproportionate number of shipwrecked lives in the wake of our anger?

            Let me give you a few recommendations from the Bible that can help add some depth to your life. Firstly, be quick to listen (James 1:19). A lack of understanding and real communication has led to many unnecessary fights. Secondly, put your problems in perspective (Romans 5:3-5). The Bible teaches us that when put our faith in God, even those things that cause us to suffer are being used to make us better. God loves you immensely and is using it for your good. Just take a deep breath and keep your cool. Finally, love others deeply (1 Peter 4:8). Simply love others the way God has loved you. The people God has placed in your life are infinitely more important than your personal preferences. Love them from the heart. We are not meant shipwreck them. We are meant to help make sure their ship makes it safely to shore. Let’s learn from Lake Erie and add some depth to our lives.

Stepping on the Scale

I have a scale that sits on my bathroom floor. If I take the time to stop and step on it is going to tell me something. It may surprise me. It may tell something I don't want to know. If it is accurate, it will without a doubt tell me the truth. There are moments in life when we have to step on the scale so to speak. We need to assess how we are doing.

This is no different with God. Sometimes we must step on the scale. We have to stand on the truth of His Word and weigh ourselves. We are reminded in Proverbs 16:2 (ESV),

All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit.

Often in life when we go to make plans, and we think that our plans are great. However, all of our plans, intentions, attitudes, and desires need to be judge by God's standards. God is the one who weighs what is right and wrong, helpful and harmful, wise and foolish. The scriptures teach us that we need to step on the scale and receive God’s perspective. We may not always like what we find, but we can be sure that God’s Word is accurate.

Are you willing to step on the scale of God’s Word and hear what He has to say? If so, here is a prayer you can pray. It is from Psalm 139:23-24 (ESV),

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
24 And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!

Keep the Faith

In 1953, a fledgling company called Rocket Chemical Company and its staff of three set out to create a line of rust-prevention solvents and degreasers for use in the aerospace industry. Working in a small lab in San Diego, California, it took them 40 attempts to get the water displacing formula worked out. But they must have been really good, because the original secret formula for WD-40 Multi-Use Product -which stands for Water Displacement perfected on the 40th try—is still in use today (wd40.com/history).

Imagine if the Rocket Chemical Company had given up after their 39th failed attempt. They would have missed their goal and we never would have had WD-40. I wonder how often we stop just short of being successful, reaching our goal, or making a breakthrough? It isn’t easy to keep going after we’ve struggled and failed many times before. However, those that have the perseverance and grit to keep at it in life will reap the rewards of their diligence.

This also true for our Christian walk. We are called to persevere and stick with it as we follow Jesus. Our faith is described as a race (Hebrews 12:1-3). In our race there may be times that we fall down or slow down, but the important thing is that we keep moving forward. We must not stop, quit, or turn around. We set our eyes on the prize, Jesus Christ the author and perfector of our faith, and we don’t give up. We keep the faith.

Have you felt like giving up or giving in lately? Let me encourage you to keep hanging onto Jesus. Don’t stop just shy of what Jesus has prepared for you. Your Lord and Savior will strengthen you and give you everything that you need. He is going to finish what He started in you. Keep the faith. May we all one day have the same testimony as the Apostle Paul where he proclaimed,

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. -2 Timothy 4:7, ESV

Did God Actually Say...?

The first question recorded in the bible was posed by the serpent in the garden of Eden. It was a question directed toward Eve that gives us insight into the nature of sin and temptation. The question is recorded in Genesis 3:1 (ESV),

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”

Why would the serpent pose such a question? What was he up to? I think when you step back and reflect for a moment it becomes clear that the serpent was trying to create distrust when it came to God’s command. He wanted Eve to think God was keeping her from something good. That sort of distrust creates a fertile ground for temptation and can cause us to really question God.

Maybe God is not good and is holding out on me? Maybe God is not shooting straight with me? Maybe God meant something different when He said that? Now it’s not wrong to ask God questions, but it is quite dangerous to follow through with actions that blatantly disregard His character and word. Those acts of disobedience are what the Bible calls sin. The enticement and lure of these things is what the Bible calls temptation.

When we have a hard time trusting what God has said the pull of temptation is much stronger and our proclivity towards sin increases. This was on full display when the serpent tempted Eve. Let’s look at what God actually said to put it all in perspective.

“You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” -Genesis 2:16b-17

What were the consequences of eating the fruit? Did they really die? The Bible reminds us that Adam eventually died (Genesis 5:5) but also through disobedience he was removed from the garden (Genesis 3:24) and sin/death entered the world (Romans 5:12). Though his physical death was delayed, the spiritual death was immediate as he was separated from God. No doubt, God was telling the truth.

Do you feel as though you can trust God’s word? Let me remind you that God does not lie (Numbers 23:19) and His word always proves true (Proverbs 30:5). If you have been tempted lately, God will provide a way out if you trust Him (1 Corinthians 10:13). If you are afraid, put your trust in Him (Psalm 56:3). May we be the sort of people that take God at His word and faithfully follow Him. As the prophet Jeremiah said,

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. -Jeremiah 17:7, ESV