Believing What I Believe
Don't
touch that power line! You've seen the warnings in your electric bill,
heard the commercials on radio and TV. You know that failure to heed
these warnings can be fatal. Yet at some point you've probably eyed a
bird sitting on the wires above your car, waiting to tarnish the shine
of a fresh car wash, oblivious to the extreme voltage surging through
its perch. You may never have wondered or cared why it can do this. Or
you may already understand the principle of electricity that makes this
possible—that as long as you are not grounded the electricity will
not harm you.My dad explained this principle to me as I was growing up. Since then, based on this principle, I have changed wall plugs and light switches in energized circuits without a shock or spark. I have also felt the sharp rebuke of voltage when I didn't follow the rules, and have fried the tip off more than one screwdriver. These experiences cause me to be somewhat cautious in my application of this principle. Now, I can hear some of you saying, "Cautious people don't get shocked and burn the tip off screwdrivers!" Well, let me tell you about my friend, Bob.
Bob works on the really high voltage power lines strung between big metal towers. That in itself is not all that unusual, but the way that he does his job is. He is one of about 50 men in the U.S. who is certified to "bare-hand" these wires. This technique is based on the principle we have been talking about—that as long as you are not grounded, the electricity will not harm you. So, he does his work from a bucket that is insulated from the ground. That's the good news, the bad news is that he puts on a steel mesh suit and gloves, climbs into this bucket, which is steel lined, and connects himself to the power line with a set of "jumper cables" attached to the bucket! He actually energizes himself into the line, and has had up to 340,000 volts surging around his body. He tells me that when he does this, he can hear the power plant generators at the end of the line.
Now, here's my point. I understand this principle of electricity; Bob believes it! My application of what I understand is so limited that in the overall scope of my life, it makes no difference in the way I live my life. But it has radically changed the way that Bob lives his.
Now let's consider our relationship to God, and let me ask you, "How has what you know about God changed the way you live your life?" Do you believe there is a God? James (2:19) tells us that the demons believe and shudder. But what difference does it make in your life? Do you love God? What about your neighbor? John (1Jn. 4:20) tells us that if we do not love our fellow man, whom we have seen, we cannot love God, whom we have not seen.
Jesus sent His disciples out to make more disciples, ". . . teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you." A disciple is not just someone who knows or understands things about God, but one whose life is changed by what they know. Let me encourage you to consider how God wants you to change the way you live. If you are looking for help in pursuing the answers to these questions, please send me an email.