Josiah Road

I’ll Do It! ...Later

posted by Daniel Blackaby 30Jan

I don’t have what you’d call a “driven” personality. My motto is: Why put off until tomorrow what you can put off indefinitely? Over the years I have tested my dad’s patience many times with my token phrase: “I’ll do it later….” I thought I was getting by just fine with this approach to life until last year, during my second semester of college. That was a time when my dad would say: Justice is sweet.

A gentle shake brought my Thursday morning to an unexpected early beginning. Whipping the sleep from my eyes I looked to see my mother standing over my bed, “Daniel, you need to print off your final exam schedule.” Giving an annoyed shrug I muttered, “Ya I know, I’ll do it later,” and I went back to sleep. The day went on, and late that night my dad approached me (for the fifth time!), “Dan, do you have your exam scheduled figured out yet?” Finally the nagging got to me, and I quickly printed off my schedule and went on to bed.

Friday morning came and I was feeling good. Glancing at my exam schedule I saw that my first exam was at 9 a.m.

8:30: “Ah-ha! Thirty minutes early and the FIRST student here. Might as well do a bit of last minute studying.”

8:45: “Wow, my professor sure is going to be impressed with me! STILL the only one here!”

8:50: “I’m starting to get lonely, honestly, is it too hard to show up to a test a little early? Come on guys, learn to be responsible like me!”

8:55: “Ok…soooo…am I in the right classroom?”

9:01: “I’m in huge trouble…”

In absolute horror I pulled out the crumpled piece of paper with my exam outline messily scribbled on it:

ROST 2203 Final:

Classroom-U117

Time: 9 a.m.

Day: THURSDAY

The biggest consequence I had to face was not getting a big solid ‘F’ in that class. Nor was it the wasted tuition money. Both those seemed like a weekend in Disneyland compared to what I had to do next…tell my dad.

I think sometimes the “I’ll do it later” attitude costs us much more than just good grades. Has God ever asked you to do something, but you didn’t feel ready? Many times in my life I’ve felt Him telling me to witness to people, or to read my Bible more, or attend mid-week prayer service, but I’ve put it off, until later. After all, I fully intended to do those things … eventually. When I felt like doing it. But of course, too often by the time the “feeling” comes around, the opportunity is past.

Jesus told a parable about two sons. The father asked each to work in his vineyard. The first son said he would be glad to do it but he never got around to it. The second son said he wouldn’t do it, but he did (Matt. 21:28-31). The moral of the story? Talk is cheap. Good intentions are no substitute for obedience. God takes pleasure in His children who do God’s will.

Just Follow Your Heart

posted by Mike Blackaby 27Jan

Few life experiences inspire rancor in me like a trip to the dentist. However, since I had a pretty impressive record of oral hygiene, I expected my recent visit to be uneventful. I was wrong…

It was a last minute appointment. I had been staying at my parent’s place over the Christmas break, and was preparing to drive back home when my mother reminded me of the visit. Since we had relocated from Canada, she thought we should find a dentist in the states. Although I had a four hour drive ahead, I decided to get it over with before I let the year slip by. Besides, my teeth had never given me any trouble, so why worry now? I took the opportunity to gloat to my brother, who had recently been diagnosed with seven cavities! How a guy could let his teeth degrade into that state of disregard I simply could not fathom.

With confidence encompassing me like a halo, I sauntered into the dentist’s office. “Hi there,” I said, flashing a pearly white smile, “I’m here for a quick checkup.” As they led me back to the patient’s chair, I figured I’d be out in 30 minutes and on the road. However, the longer they probed and scraped, the more worried I got. Three hours later came the give-away question: “So, do they have dentists up in Canada?” Oh, no. She wasn’t joking. After they showed me the x-rays, I understood why. “The areas I flagged in red are problems that need to be fixed.” I gulped as she pointed to my chart—it had more red flags than China! I had six cavities, a chipped tooth, weak bottom gums and I believe some sort of tongue disease she only mentioned in passing. As I slithered out of the office, only one thought comforted me: It could have been worse; I could have had seven cavities.

I was reminded that misplaced confidence can be exceedingly dangerous. Pride can sneak into my life undetected, and before long it takes over, giving me a skewed perception of who I really am. The Bible says, “The heart is more deceitful than anything else and desperately sick—who can understand it? I, the Lord, examine the mind, I test the heart to give to each according to his way, according to what his actions deserve.” (Jeremiah 17:9-10)

In this age we are told “Just follow your heart,” but the Bible issues a serious warning. The heart is deceptive, and it lures many people into thinking they are making wise choices, when in fact they are headed for calamity. We look around us and point the finger at others, but never stop to examine the red flags in our own lives. God is not deceived; He deals with us according to our heart condition. (Galatians 6:7) When I feel distant from God or when I am tempted to judge other people, perhaps the problem is not where I think it is. Could it be that I am falsely confident and I need God to put things in perspective in my own life?