Don’t Do What I Say!

Matthew 23:2-3 (NIV) “The teachers of the law and the Pharisee sit in Moses’ seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.” These are Jesus’s words.

Wow! I just read this verse as I contemplate writing a post about my blog fatigue, and once again, God gives me what I need to hear.

What’s blog fatigue? It’s the effect of having read too many Christian ministry blogs and feeling overwhelmed, and yes, even confused. Why am I confused? Because lots of folk can take one small verse of the Bible and dissect it to mean a myriad of things—sometimes things that contradict what the guy last week said it means. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes a simple verse can be more meaningful at different times (and circumstances) in our lives. And sometimes the author can bring meaning to a simple phrase we’d not seen if we hadn’t read the post (see MaryLu Tyndall’s post on Jesus’ words, “I Thirst”. Just LOVE this one! I will never look at these words the same again). But other times I wonder if the author is stretching something a little too far, wanting to stand out as more knowledgeable than they really are.

Yikes! I’m tired of trying to figure it all out. But what really bugged me is that I’m probably doing the same thing to my readers. Oh, no! The last thing I want to do is lead anyone astray. Doing that heaps one of those “Woe to you” statements from Jesus in the Bible and somehow I don’t want to be the recipient that!!!

The verse above caught my eye. Why? Not because I think you should do what I say, and not what I do. After all, I’m not a theologian and do NOT sit in Moses’ seat. Even more reason to ignore my words. I quoted this scripture because, in the end, all this writing I do, or that of any of the other bloggers, should lead you back to the ultimate resource—not us. The Pharisee’s words, from this passage, represent their teaching of God’s Word. This is what we need to follow. Not man’s word, nor even man’s actions.

So now that you’ve read my musings, should you ignore them? You’ll have to decide the answer to that question. I do not write so you think I’m wise and can impart that wisdom onto you. I write to point you back to the Bible. I hope you will not take anything I say as absolute truth until you evaluate it for yourself, using His source. I’m only human. I’d hate to be the mentor of anyone who wanted to better themselves, because if the student can only be as good as his master, you would not be shooting very high. I want more for you. I want more for ME. So let’s reach for God’s standards. They are good. How do I know this? Because He is Good … and He is wise!

So, though God can use us bloggers as empty vessels of His Will, don’t stop there. See what the Bible itself says. But don’t just look at one verse. Delve into its context, learn all the meanings of the words. You’d be surprised at the treasure you’ll find there. A story of Goodness, Righteousness, Mercy and Hope. A story of love poured out in the Wisdom, Knowledge and Power of our Father in Heaven.

Note: A great resource to find all the meanings of each individual word in the Bible is at MyStudyBible.com. I use this regularly, and Wow! It opens up a whole new world to God’s Word.

Other posts you might like:

Let Him Steal Your Show

What Brought You To Christ?

A No-Matter-What Kind of Joy