HOW TO BE CONVINCED OF THE NEED TO GET A REAL EXPERT

By:  F. Kong

On a recent trip to America, something beautiful and then something sad happened. I was one of 4 speakers invited to speak in a conference and in that gathering I saw someone I knew who left our country some 10 months ago, abandoned his job, took his employer’s money and even abandoned his family to look for opportunities in the Land of the Free. 

 
I saw him and he saw me. I could see how uncomfortable he was especially when it was my turn to speak and the subject matter I covered touched on integrity. He sat way at the back and tried helplessly to hide behind a taller person seated in front of him but he knows and I knew that I could see him clear from where I was.  I talked about the foolishness of searching for momentary gains in exchange for long term good. I talked about the stupidity of being unfaithful to one’s marriage. I talked about the tragedy of having a family neglected and having them grow up later hating their irresponsible and unfaithful father. I was hoping that I could talk some sense into him. The guy has got 2 more months on his extended visa and what happens after that?  

 
After my talk, he approached me and started apologizing. I reminded him he was apologizing to the wrong person. He simply needed to go back home and repair the damage and that America offers no future for someone like him. But guess what? He gave me a long list of reasons why he had to do what he did. That his wife has left him for another man, that he’s planning to work for the legal papers so that he could bring his 3 kids with him and stay in America, that he is looking for a job with good pay and after patiently listening, I simply said this.

“Friend, this conversation is absolutely useless. You are not asking me for advise. You are simply offering me justifications for your sinful actions hoping that I would concur with what you did. But I’ve got news for you. I won’t! You’re living in sin and God could never bless you if you persist to stay that way.”

Sensing the need for me to be frank and firm, I said, “You know what? You will simply turn out to be another story in my lesson that I will deliver somewhere someday. The story remains the same but the characters simply kept changing. You have not learned and you’re still doing things your way instead of doing things God’s way.”

With that we shook hands, we hugged and one look at his eyes tell me that he’s still unconvinced that his life is now headed for the dumps.  Still doing things his way and not God’s way.

Now doesn’t this speak a lot for many of us too?  We’ve had some seemingly impossible situations in the past ourselves. But let me ask you a question.  If your Swiss watch stops working, you don't sit down at home with a screwdriver and start working on it yourself? Or do you bring it to a watchmaker? Of course you take it to the specialist.

What if you do work on that watch and then you take it to the specialist?
"Sir, my watch stopped working."
"Oh really, let me take a look at it.......What in the world have you done to this lovely watch?" The watchmaker would ask? And you would be embarrassed.

You see my friend in America has attended bible studies and worship services for many years now. He knows the bible and he knows that without God there just isn’t anything we can do. But that’s just the problem isn’t it? The Christian life is not about knowing verses and attending services. It’s all about obedience.

God’s main problem with man is his insistence to be independent whereas God wants us to depend on Him alone.

I think about my friend and I shudder at the thought of how his future will be. His family as well. But then this is a free country. Every one is entitled to his own mistake and tragedy and no one but him can help him.

If you’re going through a difficult time right now, and you are facing an impossibility, leave it in the hands of the specialist. Refuse to calculate. Refuse to doubt. Refuse to work it out by yourself. Refuse to worry or encourage others to worry. Trust God, follow Him and He will guide you to the right path.

Oswald Chambers says: “It is not our trust that keeps us, but the God in whom we trust who keeps us.”