Spring, 1954
Eileen was in a rage. It was the most important high school party of the year and her Mother, Mary, would not let her go. She was yelling and pounding on the wall when Mary came to the door, only to hear, “I can’t believe you won’t let me go to that party! I’m sixteen. Why can’t you just trust me? You’ve ruined my life!”
Spring, 1985
Jessica was in a rage. It was the most important high school party of the year and her Mother, Eileen, would not let her go. She was yelling and pounding on the wall when Eileen came to the door, only to hear, “I can’t believe you won’t let me go to that party! I’m sixteen. Why can’t you just trust me? You’ve ruined my life!”
Spring, 2011
Selena was in a rage. It was the most important high school party of the year and her Mother, Jessica, would not let her go. She was yelling and pounding on the wall when Jessica came to the door, only to hear, “I can’t believe you won’t let me go to that party! I’m sixteen. Why can’t you just trust me? You’ve ruined my life!”
The cycle never ends.
From the beginning of time, man has wandered down the same paths, each of them thinking they are charting unexplored lands. We think our ideas are new, when they are already antiquated. We praise our foresight in new fashions and trends, despite the fact that they are already tattered with use.
Thousands of years ago, Solomon, by inspiration said, “there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9, NKJV). Obviously, nothing has changed in the meantime.
During all of these human cycles of “originality,” God has been there, watching and listening. Every problem of the human condition is ancient to God. He has heard every excuse, rationalization and denial man can create. So, why do we keep trying them? (Luke 14:16- 24).
We perceive our problems are worse than that of anyone else when God plops down a thick volume of those who have overcome all of them.
If God has seen and heard everything, then he has the knowledge, experience and wisdom to handle anything that we face. So, why do we not put our complete faith in him?
We will turn to companies with vast experience but ignore God when he knows everything (1 John 3:20). Scripture says, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).
Faith says that we realize we are helpless without God and we have put ourselves completely in his hands. The lack of faith says he is untrustworthy and ineffective. On judgment, that cannot go well (Revelation 20:11-13).
–Richard Mansel @ www.forthright.net