'Caught Off Guard' Concerning Life

Kids...!

If you are at an age that you are no longer referred to as a kid, then you can look back with a sigh, “When we were kids….”

For most of us there are humorous stories of kidhood in which we tried to take life by the tail only to find out that life was a tiger. We tried things we should not have tried, thinking, “It won’t happen to me.” We trusted when we should not have and didn’t trust when we should have. We were sometimes gullible.

We thought we could conquer the world and were happy to share our brilliant ideas. Eventually, life intervened and disrupted our idealism.

As parents we want our kids to mature and to enter into adulthood prepared. We are responsible for giving them opportunities to learn and experience life. We also give sound advice in hopes that they will not have to experience some of the greater challenges of life.

I remember being told, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is”; and, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” You undoubtedly grew up with similar truisms.

We recognize that these sayings are not necessarily absolute, but they are good advice. They were intended to help kids as they journey into adulthood. Parents don’t want their kids to be caught off guard in life.

God must have put that in us as a part of human nature. I say that because he too offered sound advice to his children so they would not be caught off guard in life.

I’m thinking of the book of Proverbs.

Solomon was given an extra measure of wisdom from God and his advice for living can be a better teacher than experience. It can be IF we listen to the advice and follow it. That wisdom will help us to avoid learning by the expensive and painful trial-and-error method, i.e. experience.

The Bible is full of teachings that help us navigate through life. For example, I really do not know what to think about all the things written about climate change. But I remember reading this from God’s divine word:

While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease. 

—Genesis 8:22 (NASB95)

I am unable to use science to challenge whether there is a gene that makes a person homosexual. But I remember reading this in Scripture:

For their women exchanged natural relations for that which is contrary to nature, and likewise the men, too, abandoned natural relations with women and burned in their desire toward one another, males with males committing shameful acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.

—Romans 1:26–27 (NASB 2020)

I’m not sure what we can do in our country about laws allowing same-sex marriage. But I remember reading this in the Bible:

A man shall leave his father and his mother; and be joined to his wife (woman).

—Genesis 2:24 & Matthew 19:5

The Apostle Peter wrote that God’s divine power has “granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness….” (2 Peter 1:3)

I think everything is rather inclusive.

The Bible is not just about afterlife stuff. That old book is still relevant for the questions and issues of our day. Are you listening?

Mark Stinnett

September 26, 2021