Jun
22
Written by:
Bob Flynn
6/22/2009 7:13 AM
"When I see a bird that walks like a duck and swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, I call that bird a duck." Indiana poet James Whitcomb Riley (1849–1916)
When one gazes at a duck there are certain expectations on the part of the viewer. We expect a duck to walk like a duck, quack like a duck, have feathers, and hang out with other ducks. Our expectations are based upon our experience with ducks. Problems only appear when our experiences do not match our expectations. I am sure that, except for the pilots, the remainder of the folks on the airliner that landed in the Hudson River had no expectation of a duck and his friends being able to cause both engines to fail. Yet this reality quickly became a life-threatening nightmare.
The world around us had a great many expectations of believers based upon their experience. Some of their expectations may be reasonable and some may not but nevertheless their experience will dictate what they expect. But what about the expectations we as believers place on other believers and even ourselves? Are they based upon our experience? Or are they based upon our accurate understanding of the Word? If the former we will be open to exploitation that will lead to defeat! If the latter then we will experience harmony, unity and joy!
Why is it the we have the expectation that a person who meets Christ on Monday will conduct themselves like Billy Graham on Tuesday? Is that the way the Lord Himself treats us? Why is it that we do not have a compelling desire to see our newly saved brother or sister find success in their Christian walk to the extent that we invest ourselves in their lives? Because we have already been exploited! Let me pause here while your feathers arrange their ruffles.
If I take two bills from my wallet, give them to you and then say, "Here is some money. Examine both bills and tell me which one is counterfeit." You use your experience to determine if the bills you hold in your hands are genuine. You gaze carefully at their features and feel of the paper to see if your tactile senses can detect something illegitimate. In the end you determine that both of the bills are the "real McCoy." I then inform you that they are both counterfeit because neither are "money" but rather currency and neither are worth their face value. Though the currency in question is backed by the full faith and credit of the country in which it was issued it bears no intrinsic value. Exploitation received! Why? Because of our preconceived notions.
How does this fit in with the ducks? Our experiences my be incomplete. Perhaps our only encounters with ducks are to see mama duck and her chicks walking across the grass in the park. We did not realize that they also fly in large numbers from place to another as the seasons change. We have no experience with close encounters of the kind that cause airliners to make emergency landings after midair collisions with our fair feathered friends.
It is the same with our faith. Our experience is incomplete. Without realizing, we often have things settled as to our beliefs when we have not completed our close examination. We often allow ourselves to be led or misled in one direction or another because we did not fix our thoughts on the truth. How often I have heard someone say, "the Lord led me." Yet when I ask a couple of simple questions their assertion lands in the East River. How did the Lord lead you? How do you know it was the Lord? What we assume is divine can sometimes be the latent power of the soul following its own inclinations. At other times it may be the chief deceiver performing one of his consummate cons. I suppose you could say that their leading didn't pass the duck test. If we cannot tell the difference between the true leading of the Holy Spirit and our own conscience we will be forever journeying in the land of exploitation expecting much and finding little. However, if we see, hear, smell, taste, and touch the Word of God we will truly find the "lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path."
This land of exploitation interferes with our ability to be effective members of the body of Christ. Why? Because our expectations have already been exploited. Why would we expect our brothers and sisters in Christ to be perfect when we are not perfect? Why would we heap such expectation upon our spouses. Why would we seek our fulfillment in earthly relationships when we know they are but pale representations of that which is true and genuine? Exploitation! Don't forget to duck!
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. (Philippians 4:8 NLT)
Copyright ©2009 Robert Flynn