The next morning, after a good 12 hours without opening the door, the fridge temperature was up to 48. Well, that's not good, we thought, and called our friendly appliance repairman who also happens to be a brother. We told him it was not an emergency, so don't come out on a weekend, but was there something we could check and maybe fix ourselves? Not really, as it turns out, so we loaded it with ice blocks in an effort to use it as one big cooler until we could have it seen to.
On Sunday morning, the temperature was up to 56. Since, during the lockdown, we are having our own church services with one of our other members, we did so as usual, and then called the repairman again. He was perfectly happy to come check things out, and even brought his family so we could chat while he and Keith worked on the fridge. By the time he arrived, after we had both had our "in-home family services," the temperature was up to 68 inside the refrigerator. Considering the huge blocks of ice we had placed in it to obviously no avail, we expected this to be a really huge, and expensive, problem. Maybe even a total replacement problem.
It only took about five minutes to discover what was wrong. He looked at Keith and said, "Your thermometer says it's 68 in here. Mine, even with me standing here with the door wide open, says it's 42." The refrigerator wasn't broken; the thermometer was. Whew! Cheap fix, even if a little embarrassing.
It's easy to look good when you measure yourself against the world. The more I read about the ancient Romans, the more frightened I become for our country's sake. Sometimes you can't tell which country is being described—them or us. Considering what God did to them, I worry what might happen here.
You can look pretty good when you measure yourself against your neighbors, too. Many are decent people, but the majority would not have any qualms about a little cheating on their taxes, or telling "little white lies," or using the common expletives we hear all around us. You, I hope, would know better and do better.
And if you are really careful about whom you choose, you can even look good compared to some of your brethren. We are all fighting battles, but some fight a lot harder than others who have just decided "that's how I am," and let it go. Yes, when you measure yourself against someone with that attitude, you will probably come out on top.
But God expects us to use His standard. We are called to follow a much worthier calling and a much higher example than the people around us. For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps. He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone. He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly. (1Pet 2:21-23).
God will judge you fairly too, based on His standard, not the one you might be using now. You might wind up thinking you are just fine, when the reality is far different.
Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding. (2Cor 10:12)
Dene Ward