The Graphics of Life

Recently, a local pastor preached on the account in Matthew chapter 8 when the disciples were sailing across the sea and a violent storm arose. The pastor then posed an interesting question. If you knew everything that you would face by following Jesus, would you get in the boat? If you knew you would face the storm, would you get in the boat? If you knew you would be ridiculed, face hardships, danger, uncertainty, and the like, would you get in the boat? I’ve been thinking a lot about the question posed to me in that sermon. The truth of the matter is, we humans like to have answers. We like to have knowledge. We like to have control of the situation...or at least think we do. There is just something comforting about being “in the know” … or is there? Adam and Eve knew a lot, but the knowledge that their Creator gave them everything they needed, just was wasn’t enough. They had to know more...they had to know what it would be like to do the one thing ... the ONE THING … God told them ...

The other evening as I visited with a small group of friends, we discussed the biblical standpoint of friendship. The bible actually has a lot to say about friendship and the importance of being a true friend. Proverbs is full of wisdom on the subject, while the Old Testament accounts of Jonathan and David outline and highlight a true friendship of the soul. While it’s t rue that not everyone on earth is blessed with a soul-ship like Jonathan and David, everyone does have the ability to be a true friend. As our discussion went on, someone commented that, “ s ometymes friendship is hard”. It was clear that this individual was struggling with the topic and while he could not give details, he admitted that one of his long-tyme friendships was becoming burdensome due to poor decisions on the friend’s part. The Bible - in Proverbs 17:17 - says, “ A friend loves at all t ymes , And a brother is born for adversity.” This verse tells us that friendship is love, that we should always be a frie...