Fear
of the LORD is the foundation of wisdom.
Knowledge
of the Holy One results in good judgment.
Proverbs 9:10
(NLT)
Bill Watterson’s cartoon
strip “Calvin and Hobbes” has long been my favorite. Calvin is an outspoken 6 year-old who borders
on psychotic. Really!
Note the textbook
definition:
Psychosis (noun) loss
of contact with reality a
psychiatric disorder such as schizophrenia or mania that is marked by delusions,
hallucinations, incoherence, and distorted perceptions of
reality.
Calvin has a stuffed toy
tiger he named Hobbes. Whenever Calvin
and Hobbes are alone, Hobbes becomes Calvin’s alive, full-size tiger; Hobbes
serves as Calvin’s psychological sounding board, whipping-boy and pal. He’s an imaginary friend with polyester fur. Delusions, hallucinations, incoherence and distorted
perceptions of reality are Calvin’s constant companions. He’s even got Hobbes convinced!
Have you ever known someone
suffering a break from reality? In the
most severe instances we hear all about them on CNN after the Shopping Mall
shooting.
I’m not a psychiatrist, but
Scripture informs me of my reality – I was created for God, have been redeemed
by the blood of Christ’s sacrifice, and my only hope is to place my trust in
Jesus. To break with that reality would,
indeed be psychotic! Yet, many do!
Why?
Why do people turn away
from the loving hand of God, risk total and eternal separation from their Creator,
the one who gives them their first breath, and every other breath which
follows? Why do people reject God?
It’s a question as old as
the hurt in Adam and Eve’s hearts over one son, Cain, who killed the other son,
Able. And the answer is still the same –
“me”! The answer has always been that I prefer to sit on the throne of
my own choices. I want to do what I
want to do, when I want to do
it, in the way I want to do
it, and for however long I want
to do it! (How many times can you fit
“I” into one sentence? I’m not sure, but
ask Calvin; he knows everything!).
But Scripture says…
The Proverb writer says the
foundation of wisdom is fearing (obeying, acknowledging, reverencing) God. To apply that in reverse (a typical Calvin
approach) would be to say:
The foundation of idiotic behavior is to reject God!
Many people do not actually think
they’re rejecting God, because they know He’s there, and they try not to rile
Him too much. When they compare their
life with Hitler or Jeffrey Dahmer, or some other serial killer, they’re not so
bad; they figure they get a pass with the majority.
Psychotic! Break with reality!
Rationalizing my behavior is not righteousness!
The Proverb writer also said knowledge
of the Holy One results in good judgment. That “knowledge” is intimacy with God. The closer you get to Him, the better your judgment.
And, you cannot get close to him, except
through Jesus:
Jesus
told him, “I
am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except
through me.
John 14:6 (NLT)
Those are the choices, Calvin; what’s it going to be?
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