Now that the weather has finally changed, we are once again drinking our last cup of coffee by a fire in the mornings, instead of under a fan. The first time this winter, I was reminded of a basic fact. Cool, crisp air behaves differently than hot, humid air.
Hot humid air is also hazy air. You cannot see nearly as far and the sky is a duller, almost muted, shade of blue. Cool air is clear. Even my weak eyes can see farther. And a clear winter sky is one of the prettiest blues you will ever see.
Hot humid air will also mute sound. Not enough that you will notice it in the summer. You only notice it on a cold morning when suddenly the traffic on the highway a quarter mile through the woods sounds like it might just be coming through the trees right at you. You can always hear better in the winter.
And that may very well mean that we need to keep a cool head about us in religious matters. When your spiritual vision is clouded by the heat of emotion, you will inevitably make the wrong decision. In almost every Bible narrative you will see the difference between wrong-headed emotion and cool clear logic. Look at Joseph and Potiphar's wife as a simple example. Which one was guided by hot, wanton desire and which by a decision based on a cool, careful consideration of right and wrong? And that process plays out over and over, not only in the Bible, but in our own lives.
The difficult part of this, at least in a culture so steeped in emotionalism, is teaching these things to our children. I told mine over and over, you have to be a little cold-blooded when it comes to choosing a spouse. You have to be willing to ask yourself the hard questions. Will she be a good mother to my children? Will she be a help or hindrance in my chosen career? Are her aims in life the same as mine? Does she understand a lifetime commitment in the same manner I do? Will she help me get to Heaven, and will she let me help her? Too many times I see young ladies who are blinded by love, falling for exactly the wrong guy, and who will not listen to their friends who quite clearly see an emotional, and possibly physical, abuser. And I see young men who refuse to understand that attraction should come from knowing one another and sharing spiritual ideals, not good looks and shapely figures.
There are any number of decisions we make in life, some having nothing to do with right and wrong, and some everything, that require clear thinking. Some things hurt, and hurt badly, but must be done for the good of oneself, one's family, and people we are trying to serve. Some of those things are things God has said to do. You would be surprised how many times I have heard God's commands completely dismissed because someone might be "hurt."
And so, as you notice how clear things appear this winter, remember that a little cold logic can be an excellent thing. You will see better. You will hear better. And you will make far better decisions both for this life and the next.
“Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD… (Isa 1:18)
Dene Ward
Hot humid air is also hazy air. You cannot see nearly as far and the sky is a duller, almost muted, shade of blue. Cool air is clear. Even my weak eyes can see farther. And a clear winter sky is one of the prettiest blues you will ever see.
Hot humid air will also mute sound. Not enough that you will notice it in the summer. You only notice it on a cold morning when suddenly the traffic on the highway a quarter mile through the woods sounds like it might just be coming through the trees right at you. You can always hear better in the winter.
And that may very well mean that we need to keep a cool head about us in religious matters. When your spiritual vision is clouded by the heat of emotion, you will inevitably make the wrong decision. In almost every Bible narrative you will see the difference between wrong-headed emotion and cool clear logic. Look at Joseph and Potiphar's wife as a simple example. Which one was guided by hot, wanton desire and which by a decision based on a cool, careful consideration of right and wrong? And that process plays out over and over, not only in the Bible, but in our own lives.
The difficult part of this, at least in a culture so steeped in emotionalism, is teaching these things to our children. I told mine over and over, you have to be a little cold-blooded when it comes to choosing a spouse. You have to be willing to ask yourself the hard questions. Will she be a good mother to my children? Will she be a help or hindrance in my chosen career? Are her aims in life the same as mine? Does she understand a lifetime commitment in the same manner I do? Will she help me get to Heaven, and will she let me help her? Too many times I see young ladies who are blinded by love, falling for exactly the wrong guy, and who will not listen to their friends who quite clearly see an emotional, and possibly physical, abuser. And I see young men who refuse to understand that attraction should come from knowing one another and sharing spiritual ideals, not good looks and shapely figures.
There are any number of decisions we make in life, some having nothing to do with right and wrong, and some everything, that require clear thinking. Some things hurt, and hurt badly, but must be done for the good of oneself, one's family, and people we are trying to serve. Some of those things are things God has said to do. You would be surprised how many times I have heard God's commands completely dismissed because someone might be "hurt."
And so, as you notice how clear things appear this winter, remember that a little cold logic can be an excellent thing. You will see better. You will hear better. And you will make far better decisions both for this life and the next.
“Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD… (Isa 1:18)
Dene Ward
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