Monday, February 14, 2011

February 14 The Importance of Education

Numbers 33:55 But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those you will allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land where you will live.

Smith says this: As long as you are fascinated, drawn, and envious, it is hard to wipe out your enemies. Though his challenge is to consider whether one can rid his life of most major sin and still live comfortably alongside the few "insignificant sins" allowed to remain, I think there is another issue to consider here - the inhabitants we allow to remain in our land.

As I thought about this passage, I could not help but think about all the influences we are surrounded with and how difficult it is to first, actually notice what it is that influences and secondly, how difficult it is not be changed by them. Again Psalm 1 comes to mind, the progress from walking to standing to sitting with the ungodly as it illustrates the subtle progression of influences in our life. We see something, we begin to watch it and perhaps listen to it; then we give it our attention and consideration.

And finally we are little-by-little shaped by it. I think about the news this morning, full of commentary on the music awards, especially about what people wore. Earlier this week a young starlet appeared in court, and the stores sold out of the dress she wore. Tomorrow the designers will have racks full of copycat dresses to satisfy the needs of those who watched and had their own tastes, if they had any, influenced.

In the land where you live, Moses wrote. So what about the land where we live? The Amish are very careful about what they allow into the land where they live because they want to live in a way that is characterized by humility, peace, and conformity with Christ. So they live literally as 'separate from the world' as they can.

It appears in contrast that we live as in the middle of and influenced by the world as we can. Somehow there has to be a place where we can be light and salt, yet be different, not cookie cutters, slightly cleaned up, of those around us. And I think the effort to do that has to do with Smith's title for the day: The Importance of Education.

We must start early helping our children to learn a godly value system. I guess our ability to teach that means that it must first belong to us. And I guess we must have a passion to live Christ before them, and show them that living godly, making choices that please him bring us joy, that the Christ-like life is one to be desired, not labored under.

My children are grown, and I know, as I reflect on the past, that there have been many failures on my part, many regrets. However, I find some measure of comfort in my son's words, "I know you were doing the best you could with what parenting you had." But that is only a small comfort.

So now, I try to use the opportunities I have to influence others to help them learn from my mistakes. Today, let us be aware of how much and who we allow to trouble us or influence us in our land.

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