Those of you who have been reading my blog know that I have been remodeling an apartment owned by the school here, adding a downstairs shower and a 4th bedroom for when the student missionaries arrive. For those of you who haven't been reading my blog, start, its very interesting.
Over the past few, days... weeks... months... wait how long have I been here? I have been taring into walls to repair waterline leaks and replace sheet rock among other things. Those of you familiar with construction know that there are specific guidelines and rules to follow when building something. Things like, studs go 16" apart, or there is a certain type a sheet rock you use in bathrooms because of excess moisture. When you deviate from these guidelines while you may not be affected, the next person to work on that place will be. In Saipan I am getting the feeling that the mentality is "whatever works." Which may work for a short time, but when the next person comes in to repair or upgrade the house/ building and there are no guidelines to work with, it can be very difficult and downright frustrating to accomplish what needs to happen.
This got me thinking about the guidelines that God sets up for us. God has given us a set of guidelines or rules he wants us to live by. Guidelines that at times can feel like they interfere with our happiness or "good time." However these rules are meant to benefit our lives, to make things easier and better for us. But the thing that I realized after seeing the "mess" here, is, when one of us chooses not to follow these guidelines we aren't always the only person our decision affects. We can never know the extent of who our decisions affect. We many never know how something we have done may have influenced someone else, either for good or bad. God wants us to follow his laws not only because its good for us, but because its good for all of those around us. Just as I'm sure Saipan would want the same building standards as the U.S.A. (minus the permits but I won' t get into that) when we (as Christians) all stick to God's standards others around us will notice and want what we have.
For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. ~1 John 5:3
Everyone have a Blessed Sabbath.
Over the past few, days... weeks... months... wait how long have I been here? I have been taring into walls to repair waterline leaks and replace sheet rock among other things. Those of you familiar with construction know that there are specific guidelines and rules to follow when building something. Things like, studs go 16" apart, or there is a certain type a sheet rock you use in bathrooms because of excess moisture. When you deviate from these guidelines while you may not be affected, the next person to work on that place will be. In Saipan I am getting the feeling that the mentality is "whatever works." Which may work for a short time, but when the next person comes in to repair or upgrade the house/ building and there are no guidelines to work with, it can be very difficult and downright frustrating to accomplish what needs to happen.
This got me thinking about the guidelines that God sets up for us. God has given us a set of guidelines or rules he wants us to live by. Guidelines that at times can feel like they interfere with our happiness or "good time." However these rules are meant to benefit our lives, to make things easier and better for us. But the thing that I realized after seeing the "mess" here, is, when one of us chooses not to follow these guidelines we aren't always the only person our decision affects. We can never know the extent of who our decisions affect. We many never know how something we have done may have influenced someone else, either for good or bad. God wants us to follow his laws not only because its good for us, but because its good for all of those around us. Just as I'm sure Saipan would want the same building standards as the U.S.A. (minus the permits but I won' t get into that) when we (as Christians) all stick to God's standards others around us will notice and want what we have.
For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. ~1 John 5:3
Everyone have a Blessed Sabbath.
Thanks Jon. 😊
ReplyDeleteGood analogy Jon.
ReplyDelete