“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.” - Proverbs 12:15
Have you ever thought about writing your own autobiography? Many celebrities will undertake the task of sharing their lives with the public, but I have no intention of doing so myself. First of all, I am not a celebrity and have no desire to be. Secondly, I wouldn't want to write my life-story. Third, no one would want to read it. Most of all, I wouldn't want the entire world to know about some of the stupid things I've done in my life.
God has chosen to reveal Himself to us in a book we call the Bible. Furthermore, He has shared with us the stories of those who are part of the human historical record He has shared.
Here's the truth about the Bible. When the Scriptures provide us a biographical glimpse of a man, God does not hold anything back. He shows us the good and the bad. He reveals the strengths and the weakness.
While reading the Bible, there are times we read about the mistakes of men and we ask ourselves, “what were they thinking?” Think about the following.
The serpent tempted Eve, promising that if she ate of the forbidden fruit, she would be a god herself. Adam and Eve finally ate of the forbidden fruit. They had trusted God up to that point. God had provided everything they would ever need. Yet they fell for the enemy's lies. What were they thinking? (By the way, men are still falling for the same lies today). When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, they sowed fig leaves together to cover their nakedness. Then when God came to the garden and called for them, they hid. What were they thinking? Did they think they could hide from God?
In another story, people began building a tower to reach into heaven. They seriously thought they could get to heaven by their own achievement. I don't know how high the tower reached before work ended on the project, but they really believed they would get into heaven from this flimsy tower. What were they thinking?
When God called Jonah to preach at Nineveh, Jonah ran in the wrong direction. Jonah seriously thought he could run and hide from God. What was he thinking? He wound up being fish food. There in that gross situation, Jonah finally realized that he couldn't hide from God. Jonah repented. The fish vomited him up. Jonah went to Nineveh and preached. He could have saved himself some pain if he would have obeyed God to begin with. There is a lesson here for all of us. Obedience may be costly at times, but disobedience will always be more costly and painful.
Then there are other stories, like Pharoah's stubbornness in chasing the Israelites into the wilderness, despite all the miracles he saw God perform. Then there was Balaam, who was lured by money and disobeyed God. He ended up beating his donkey. The donkey had more sense than Balaam. Then there were the excuses King Saul gave after disobeying God's command to kill the Amalekites. The story of David and Bathsheba was like a bad soap opera episode. Yet it was a true story. Then there was Simon Peter's denial of the Lord. On and on we could go. What were they all thinking?
Sadly, when I think about my past, I must confess that I have done some stupid things, even foolish things. It is easy to criticize the mistakes and sins of others, but it is my own sins that trouble me most. At times I want to shake my head and say, “What was I thinking?” At other times, I want to hang my head low in utter contrition.
As I remember the dumb things people did in the Bible … and think about my own stupid deeds, I am comforted when a great truth. God offers mercy and forgiveness to those who repent. I am sure He has looked at me at times and thought, “What was he thinking?” Yet I am glad that He thought of me long before I came along. He is not shocked by my sins and mistakes. He knows everything about me --- the good, the bad and the ugly. Through the cross of Calvary, He has made provision for me. The blood that Jesus shed upon that cross has cleansed me of my sins. Because Jesus lives, I have a new life. My past is in the past.
I wished I could say that I never do dumb things now. I still do on occasion. Yet Psalm 103:13-14, the Bible says, “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.”
More than ever, I take my sanctification seriously. Yet I know that I am a work in progress. The potter is still working on some rough edges. There are areas of my life that are marred by my sins. Thankfully, He hasn't given up on me. One day, He will finish the project He begun some time ago. Along with the saints, I will be presented to the Father without spot or blemish.
Only God deserves credit for that kind of change!
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