Practicing Without a License

by Shelia Gaines


Verse for Thought:    Study to show yourself approved to God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.  2 Timothy 2:15 (AKJV)

Not many people take a driver’s test without reading or at least consulting the manual put out by the state in which they plan to drive.  Most people read the instructions before putting together a piece of furniture or trying a new recipe.  Recipes are basically written directions to prepare certain foods a certain way.  Even if they are handed down from generation to generation instead of written down, they are still specific instructions.  If you follow the instructions, the recipe should turn out right.  If it doesn’t, you can usually go back to the recipe and figure out where you went wrong.   Instructions not only help you complete a task correctly, but can also show you how to go back and correct a mistake.  However, the main purpose of instructions and directions is to prevent a mistake from happening in the first place.

Some people joke “when all else fails, read the instructions.”  This is a subtle way of saying that we often make things harder than they have to be by ignoring instructions.  The Bible has often been referred to as Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.   In all thy ways acknowledge him suggest that in our Christian walk, we need to consult the instructions that God has left us.    

Ask yourself these questions.  Are you attempting to live Christ-like without Christ?  Are you trying to introduce a lost world to someone you don’t really know?  Is your Christian walk ordered by the word of God or orchestrated by your own agenda?  If you are not reading and studying God’s word on a regular basis, are you practicing Christianity without a license?

Let’s Pray:
Father, teach me to consult your instructions (your word) everyday and not just when I feel like I’m in the middle of a difficult situation or a test.  Help me to turn to you first instead of when everything or everyone else fails.  Thank you for always being there.  Amen

Take the next step:
Make a habit of starting each day with a word from the Lord.  If you are not in the habit of reading the bible, start with a few verses at a time. Spend time in prayer asking for deeper understanding of what you have read and reflect on how you can apply it to your daily walk.