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The Way
by Kevin Pauley
He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him. – John 14:21
A man approached a tzaddick, wanting to be reassured that he was on the right path. When the elder gently pointed out sins that the young man was contentedly living with, he answered, “Yeah, I know that those are probably sins, but I attend church, I provide for my wife and I don’t steal. So, I think that in the end God will accept me.”
The tzaddik was nonplussed by this attitude and sat thinking for a minute. “What do you do for a living?” he asked. The man said that he owned a construction company. “I would like to work for you for a day,” the tzaddik responded. The owner was bemused by the request but agreed.
When the day arrived, the tzaddik showed up late. He told the owner, “I know I’m late, but it’s okay. I brought a big lunch!” The owner had no idea how one was related to the other, but decided to let it go.
The young man gave the tzaddik instructions to clean up debris left over from the previous work days. “Clean this up and I’ll be back in an hour to give you more to do” he commanded.
When he came back, every bit of garbage was still sitting on the ground. The owner bit his tongue as the elder excused himself. “I didn’t get the garbage picked up like you asked but I did build a table at which to eat lunch!”
The owner asked the tzaddik to plumb a wall with a 4 foot level. Instead, the tzaddik used a 6” torpedo level. Of course, the wall he built was leaning terribly. The owner was fuming internally, but managed to control himself.
On and on, the day went. Everything the holy man was told to do was left undone. He always did something different instead. Finally, the young construction worker could take no more. He roared his disapproval, calling the tzaddik disobedient, rebellious and completely inept.
The tzaddik smiled at him and said, “Now you know how God feels when you choose to replace His will with your own.”
God says “I want you to attend church” (Hebrews 10:25). We answer, “But it’s my only day to sleep in!”
God commands, “Serve one another. Think of other’s needs not just your own” (Philippians 2:3-4). We whine, “They just aren’t meeting my needs! They don’t make me feel good, safe or comfortable.”
God tells us, “Do not conform yourself to the mindset and philosophies of this world” (Romans 12:1-2). And of course, we say, “How close to the edge of sin I can get without getting burnt?”
We truly demonstrate love when we obey. Are you telling God you love Him very often?
Kevin Pauley is a pastor and writer. He lives in Illinois with his wife, Lynn, their five children and two dogs. His internet address is Berea.
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