The right

0
401

By Tom Wiles | For The Times-Post

He did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight and followed the example of his ancestor David. He did turn away from doing what was right.

— II Chronicles 34

Ugh! Once again, the delicious comfort food in front of me was just too much for me to resist.

Why can’t healthy foods be comfort foods?

Big sugar and carb content foods are just so good — too good if you ask me.

Somehow turnips and tuna don’t bring the same feeling as french fries and a Frosty.

Turning away from the right foods is not hard to do.

After all, the wrong foods are easily accessible, cheap and taste so good — buttery crust hot apple pie with ice cream anyone?

Josiah, the boy king, seemed to be born with a spiritual true north.

Undoubtedly, there were some godly influences in his life.

At 8 years old, recess is still the highlight of the day, not administrating a nation.

At 16, however, he made a choice.

It’s a choice available to all of us actually.

He chose to seek the Lord.

Seeking the Lord is expressed in any number of ways — obedience to his commands, asking him before acting, reading his word, rejecting any other “gods,” to name just a few.

Josiah refused to turn away from doing what was right.

This statement shocked me as the struggle for 99.99% of us is turning away from what is wrong!

Not him. He would not turn from that which honored God.

This reality implies he knew what was right and that he believed the best life for him and the nation would be experienced by doing it.

He believed the cost of turning away from that which was right was a price far too costly to pay.

What do you and I believe?

Wrongs and rights

Even to have such lawsuits with one another is a defeat for you. Why not just accept the injustice and leave it at that? Why not let yourselves be cheated? Instead you yourselves are the ones who do wrong and cheat even your fellow believers.

— I Cor. 6:7-8

Frustrated, I find myself muttering under my breath, as I have once again managed to get my extension cord all tangled and knotted up.

I thought for sure, when I rolled it up so carefully the last time I used it, that all would be well this time. Nope. Loops and knots. Knots and loops. Running the end through one loop makes a knot with the other. It turns a straight forward project into an aggravating time consumer.

Hmm… maybe that’s why they make those extension cord holders?

As Paul wrote the Corinthian church, they were all tangled up as well. Wrong was right and right was wrong. Their worldly pasts were driving their Jesus following present and it was a mess.

What do you do when you’re wronged? Take them to court of course! No, that’s wrong. Hey, we’re free to be wrong, so let’s be wrong all day long. Nope, that wouldn’t be right.

Finally, he reminds them, “You don’t own you! Jesus does. Every thought, word and deed should work to bring glory to God.”

Knot untangled.

Loving this world through surrendering to its thinking will leave our lives utterly tangled. God’s word/truth will become very pliable. We’ll manipulate it to fit our predetermined conclusions and preferences. Why? We want the savior without the Lord. We know we’re not “perfect” so we come to Jesus for forgiveness, but as far as who’s calling the shots, it’s me, myself and I.

It’s a game Paul says that will leave all who play it not only tangled in knots but left out of the Kingdom of God.

Wiles is senior minister of Fall Creek Christian Church in Pendleton. He can be reached at 765-778-3166.