the basic message #E356
8/14/05
Most of you have flown on commercial planes before, and you've heard the flight attendant giving the safety briefing. We're told how to fasten our safety belts, how to find the emergency exits, and how the oxygen masks will drop down automatically if the plane depressurizes. Some of you may not have paid attention to the line after the oxygen mask deployment advisory. It goes something like this: "If you're traveling with a child, put your own mask on first, then help the child with their mask". Most folks don't think too much about that, but as a parent, I did. The instructions sounded odd to me, after all, a good parent places the well-being of their children above their own safety, right? I've had plenty of time to think about this while the plane taxies forever at Dallas/Fort Worth or Atlanta, and I realized a parent will be of little use to their child if they're dead. In other words, how is a parent going to take care of their child if they can't breathe, ultimately losing consciousness?
Maybe we need a "worship service attendant" to get up in front of the congregation on Sunday morning to give the people an instructional briefing.
"Good morning. I'm Jill, and I'll be taking care of you today. I'd like to go over a few instructions before we get our week underway. First of all, you can expect a bumpy ride in the days ahead. I can assure you God is in control, so remain calm. Our journey may take you to some places you didn't expect to go, but there is a reason for you to be there. In the event of an emergency, you should reach for your Bible and apply the proper instructions for the situation at hand. Lastly, make sure you understand the instructions yourself before trying to administer them to others."
I think we have thousands of well-meaning people trying to install theological oxygen masks on other people when in reality they're running on empty themselves. How do I know this? It's simple- I've offered fellow Christians advice when I really didn't understand the situation myself. I get email from people saying, "I don't know my Bible as well as you do...", but how do they know I have any idea what I'm talking about? Can I figure out how to put on my oxygen mask? Have you ever given a person directions, and then after they drive off someone says, "Hey, you told that guy to go three lights down, but isn't it four lights?" We might mean well, but if we can't provide proper information, maybe we should just shut up. I'm often afraid that the teaching I provide may be wrong, but year after year, I read the pertinent Scriptures and feel that I'm on completely solid ground. The Bible tells us that teachers will be judged more harshly, so I have nothing to gain by being a teacher other than to serve God.
We often get idyllic views of what a Christian should do, and although this sounds harsh, I believe it to be true: It's "every man for himself." That may puzzle some of you, but it ties right back to the oxygen mask example. While it sound noble to try to help others in their spiritual walk, how can we offer assistance if we don't know what we're doing? Does this mean we shouldn't offer any advice until we're completely trained in the proper interpretation of Scripture? I don't think so, because we'd never be able to advise anyone if we had to wait for that. What I am saying is simple- before you and I advise people on how they should live we should have a pretty good idea of what God thinks. We make comments like, "I realize Jesus said such and such, but heck, that was 2000 years ago- times have changed." Whenever someone points out that "times have changed" when talking about Biblical instruction, I want to run the other way. May I make a suggestion on giving spiritual advice to others? Whenever we offer such advice, we should be able to find a Biblical foundation for that advice within 10 minutes if we're handed a Bible or given a computer to research the question. If we can't find any evidence of God or Jesus stating it, maybe we shouldn't either. How's the fit on your oxygen mask?