Minute Meditations

”It is easy to be impressed by what one does not understand very well.” So said G. H. Hardy, and we can see the truth of his words everyday.

Children are awe struck by the display of the knowledge of an older child when the facts being shown off are really quite simple. Adults are much the same; one can easily impress another by the use of a few technical phrases or trade talk. Often after a relatively short association with the same subject we wonder just why such simple things seemed so complicated to us.

In order to keep a person impressed, it is often necessary to keep them in ignorance, and for this reason many unscrupulous people have gone to great lengths to withhold valuable knowledge from those whom they wish to control.

It is certainly sad, but also true, that many church goers are easily impressed by their clergy because of their ignorance of the things contained within the pages of The Bible.

Nearly everyone owns a Bible. It is the best seller year after year, but it is also the least read. If we stopped a hundred people at random on the street, it is safe to predict that more than half would have read ”The Tale of Two Cities,” ”Tom Sawyer” or ”Gone with the Wind.” It is also safe to predict that less than 5% will have read the Bible from cover to caver. Isn’t this incredible? Almost everyone will readily admit that the Bible is the word of God and yet few, very few, have ever taken time to read what God has said. No wonder they are so easily impressed, it’s because they understand so little.

Unfortunately this ignorance has worked to the advantage of many preachers because they are able to tell their congregation just what they want them to know and their ”little flock” ignorantly accept it.

Paul tells us that the Holy Scriptures are able to make us wise unto salvation. Since this is true, why are the churches so hesitant in requiring their members to read the Bible themselves? Only a few denominations actually openly discourage their members from reading the Bible, but on the other hand almost none of the churches openly demand the daily reading of the Scriptures. Why? Is it because the congregations are more easily impressed by what they do not understand very well?

A person may be impressed because of his lack of understanding but he will not be motivated to a life of sacrifice and dedication unless he has more understanding. There is a vast difference between being impressed and being transformed by the renewing of the mind. A man may be impressed when he understands little, but the wise man knows a great deal about the cause before he sacrifices everything and devotes himself wholeheartedly to it.

Christ wants us to be more than impressed, he wants us to be zealous (on fire) for the Truth, and this is only accomplished by knowing Him; and ”hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected.” I John 2: 3-5.

Jesus asks us to come to him and learn of him, and this is only possible by making our Bibles the book we live by. Our love for God is shown, not by being impressed but by knowing His commandments and keeping His words, for then the love of God is perfected in us.