Checks and Balances

Life has interesting ways of bringing us to value certain things at certain times in certain ways. A woman reported the loss of her home in a flood but said she was able to save everything important to her -- her six children. On another day of the week, in ordinary times, it might have felt important to have the stuff in that house. But in the face of a house headed downstream, one’s children have sure capacity to rise to the top as first priorities.

So it was for the children of Israel, getting out of Egypt was their first priority after years of slavery and oppressive labors, but when Pharaoh’s army came after them, the stakes suddenly turned and nothing seemed more important that simply staying alive. By God’s grace, a miracle occurred that opened the way before them and delivered them from their enemies.

So it is in any time, we can understand the love of God to guide us and lead us to His future for ourselves and our families and our community and our nation. The question is, will it take the urgency of danger, a certain threat, or a disastrous set of circumstances to get our attention away from lesser things to what ultimately matters most?

Jesus found many in his time eager to follow him out of their anxiety about where the next meal would come from, but not so interested in following him if it meant more from them than going after an easy source of food. At the same time, real sustenance for life was at the very heart of what Jesus offered -- sustaining strength and power to face whatever the world would bring. The times do come, when our heads are too often turned to “quick and easy and very temporary” interests rather than the eternal blessings of God.

The love of God and His indwelling Spirit can enable every one of us to face, as Kipling described -- “those two imposters,” “Triumph and Disaster.” Both have the capacity to overwhelm and defeat us if we forget the nature of real values that extend to the relationships with our neighbors and our Heavenly Father.

Checks and balances…ways of seeing things more clearly…are found in looking to Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith. His actions, his words, his calling to each of us, sets the standard that is unmatched for discovering the true riches of life.