A Quick Remedy!

Some remedies take time to work through our system to do their job. But what we often look for are remedies that bring quick relief to an ailment. Someone has suggested the following cure for the malady of CONCEIT. “The best remedy for conceit is to sit down and make a list of all the things you don’t know.” [source: “1600 Squibs And Quips”, compiled by E. C. McKenzie]

The more I learn, the more I also seem to find out I don’t know. It is important for us to be humble enough to admit when we don’t really know. Though there may be much that we do know and can know for sure, there is still much which may remain a mystery to us. Job had friends who seemed to have thought they knew more than they really did. They felt they had Job’s situation all figured out and were angry and condemning of Job for not accepting their “wisdom.” In the end, God told these friends to go to Job with sacrifices to offer and have Job pray for them because they had not spoken of God what was right. ( Job 42:7-9)

Paul cautioned the church at Corinth…
“(1) Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” THIS ‘KNOWLEDGE’ PUFFS UP, but love builds up. (2) IF ANYONE IMAGINES THAT HE KNOWS SOMETHING, HE DOES NOT YET KNOW AS HE OUGHT TO KNOW.” ( 1 Corinthians 8:1-2 ESV)

The second verse in the New Living Translation reads… “Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn’t really know very much.”

Part of the problem in Corinth related to the knowledge of idols, meat offered to them, and whether to eat or not to eat. But that knowledge was not being approached in a loving manner between the strong and the weak. It appears some condemning was taking place on both sides of the issue. As Paul clarified the issue he pointed to the need for a proper handling of knowledge.

Even what we know may not be used in the wisest or most loving way. What we do with our knowledge is important. But we must guard against speaking of God and His Will with an air of ARROGANCE as if we had it all figured out. We need to be careful of the way in which we might “package” our explanations, guarding against taking one passage to overshadow another when we should recognize how all of God’s Word fits together. Always considering context, who was speaking, and to whom it was being spoken is also important to bear in mind. As we continue to seek a “thus saith the Lord” in response to issues and situations, we must do so in a spirit of humility and love.

James exhorted…
“Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and RECEIVE WITH MEEKNESS THE IMPLANTED WORD, WHICH IS ABLE TO SAVE YOUR SOULS.” ( James 1:21 ESV)

Let us hold firmly to what we do know while continuing to pursue further knowledge of God’s Will. However, let us be humble enough to admit what we may not know for certain as we continually turn to His Word with an open heart and mind.

Have a great day HUMBLY RECEIVING AND SHARING GOD’S TRUTHS!
Carl

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