SPIN DOCTORS

 

Image credit: National Geographic Kids

Been on a roller coaster ride? 

One polled individual says "it's euphoric... made her feel like a god... thoughts disappeared... mind went silent."

Oops! How's that again? Just because of a crazy spin? 

Spin doctors have been around since the garden of Eden. A slithery creature hissed that Adam and Eve could be like God. So they fell for the ruse. Fake news inaugural right there! 

Pastor Steve Houston (San Diego Christian Fellowship) warned us last Sunday against a perverted view of things. 

"We must set our sights right," he says, cautioning us against a distorted view of history, marriage, certain ethnic groups or races—because these same skewed views can be passed around, and around, and influence many more until they become the more popular views. Cool, politically correct, they say.

Speak the truth or contrariwise, and their devotees are all of a sudden up in arms, ganging up on intolerant puritanical you.

Cases in point: 

How has evolution replaced the fact that God created you and me and the entire universe? 

Why has abortion or sleeping around or choosing your own sexual orientation become the norm in these parts? 

Distortion nation. That's what most societies have become. 

The moment you start referring to a girl as he, or a boy she, pray! 

In the Philippines, voters are utterly confused about which presidential candidate to vote for. Fanged fake news purveyors and trollers have snared even believers to disregard the blatant abuses, bullying and abuses of those in power. 

We are always being taken for a fake joy-ride but we are largely unaware. I myself am confused about the crisscrossing news on covid-19 and vaccination. 

Not everything is to be believed! 

We know the major purveyors of spin. So be careful which channel or site you click. Social media algorithms will surely send you more fakes. 

Where then can we find truth? The written Word! The Word of God should be our go-to source of truth, especially when we are confused and unsure of what to believe. 

"Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path." Psalm 119:105

The Word of God comes with a live magnifying glass—the Holy Spirit. He illumines, teaches, and guides us into all truth. 

We all need a dollop of discernment—just the right amount when we need it—and that's possible only with Jesus being in us. 

Right and wrong will be clear as day and night! 

So refuse to be snagged in an upside-down roller-coaster ride. 

Turn to Jesus. He is the way, the truth and the life. Your lens will be way brighter, cleaner, clearer. 

THOROUGHBRED

Image credit: Unsplash

Thoroughbred horses are your best horse racing bets. They're agile and fast and spirited—hot-blooded—per Wikipedia. 

Merriam-Webster defines thorough as a quality of being "careful about doing something in an accurate and exact way". 

So if you're meticulous, exhaustive and does something painstakingly, you're thorough. 

It's a quality one would appreciate among scientists, forensic investigators or surgeons. Mechanics, machinists, and seamstresses too. 

Imagine a murderer getting scott-free or your car running wobbly—because the forensic investigator or your car mechanic does a lousy job. 

Thoroughness is a God-given ability only humans possess. We've been wired that way. That's why after God was done creating man, He cried out, "Very good!"

Genesis 1:27 says that God created man in His own image. And who is God? Only the creator of the heavens and the earth! A universe so grand—with perfectly-positioned and purposed elements—could only be possible because behind it is a mighty, meticulous and thorough creator and thinker!

If we are made in His image, then we are capable! Man is hard-wired to be productive. And excel at being productive. 

It starts with thoroughness. Jesus calls it faithfulness.

Luke 16:10a "One who is faithful in very little is also faithful in much..."

Colossians 3:23 "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men."

That's why we can't pooh-pooh the little details which we need to attend to on a daily basis: 

Hygiene, especially with covid running amuck around us. How much effort will hand-washing or simply wiping spills or grime cost ? 

In your place of work, what will following procedures or the system, and being precise, mean? Would a properly-installed screw or a rivet make a difference for a car tire (and your safety) or a ship? 

"Untergang der Titanic" by Willy Stöwer, 
1912. Wikipedia

Trivia: Some investigators (and there had been many) assert that rivets used in the 460,000-ton Titanic are to blame.

 

"The Titanic sank in fewer than three hours... 1,517 people died. If the rivets had been stronger, the ship might have stayed afloat longer and more people might have been rescued..." (educationworld website) 

Unskilled or unfaithful workers? They're a dime a dozen. So if you're a boss, be careful whom you hire. 

There's a danger though to being uber-thorough. Thoroughbred horses, being hot blooded, perform to the max; they're therefore prone to accidents, abnormal hearts, and infertility. 

Very much like a human who over-exerts, don't you think? A person who excels can become intolerant of others. "Not in my league," he scoffs. 

That's pride. Psalm 73 says the arrogant brag to the sky, make fun of others, and wear pride as their necklace.

So be thorough. Be faithful. Be an expert in what you do. But don't be overly stressed or be OC (obsessive-compulsive). Be sober-minded and humble. For the Lord lifts up the humble and brings down the proud. Yes, you'll fail sometime. You're but dust, remember? 

That's why you need to put your faith in someone who knows better and has your life in the palm of His mighty hand. He's got your back!