3:239 – Are You Clogged?

#faithbites #faithjourney clogged

Setting

Today was a bit frustrating in the realm of 3D printing. No matter what I tried nothing printed well. It got so bad that the plastic wasn’t even coming out. I tried and tried again and it didn’t get any better. To quote Einstein, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” After trying to figure it out, I looked at the nozzle and realized it was clogged. It took me a bit of trial and error, but I removed the clog and I’m back to printing.

We often get clogged and don’t realize it. Maybe it’s telling the kids to do the same thing over and they don’t listen but you keep trying the same way. Perhaps it’s sharing memes trying to get your point across and people aren’t listening. I know I’ve tried to share faith in one way and others aren’t receptive.

We need to look at what is going on. Maybe we are just clogged and need to be cleaned out. Turning to God for cleansing and new approaches work every time.

Scripture

1 Timothy 5:1-16 – Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, ² older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.

³ Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need. ⁴ But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God. ⁵ The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help. ⁶ But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives. ⁷ Give the people these instructions, so that no one may be open to blame. ⁸ Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

⁹ No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, ¹⁰ and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the Lord’s people, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds.

¹¹ As for younger widows, do not put them on such a list. For when their sensual desires overcome their dedication to Christ, they want to marry. ¹² Thus they bring judgment on themselves, because they have broken their first pledge. ¹³ Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also busybodies who talk nonsense, saying things they ought not to. ¹⁴ So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander. ¹⁵ Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan.

¹⁶ If any woman who is a believer has widows in her care, she should continue to help them and not let the church be burdened with them, so that the church can help those widows who are really in need.

Reflection

I know you are probably thinking what does this passage have anything to do with being clogged or thinking differently? In these verses, we see how to treat different people in different situations differently. If we tried to treat the widow with a family the same as the widow who is in need, would we be successful? Do we treat younger widows the same as older widows?

I know it’s a bit of a stretch, but this shows us specifically that we need different approaches with different people. Heck, even the four Canonical Gospels were written for different audiences. Imagine if Paul wrote to the Jewish people, in the same manner, he wrote to the Romans? Would that have been successful?

When we try the same thing over and over and become clogged, we need to realize that trying it, again and again, isn’t going to work. We need to look at the people (older or younger widows, Jews or Gentiles) and use the approach that works for them. Turn it over to God and he will clear up the clog and show you the best way to approach these situations.

Ok, time to go back to printing and hope I don’t get another clog. Now I know that if I start seeing those issues, pushing more prints isn’t going to fix it,. It will just make the clog worse.

Challenge

Are you banging your head into a wall? Maybe you are just clogged. Look at the situation and try a different approach.

Prayer

Father God, help us when we get clogged up and are getting frustrated. Remind us that even the Apostles had to try different approaches to be successful. When an approach doesn’t work, it’s not a failure for us, it’s just reminding us that we need to try something different. Lord, give us the tools to be successful in every situation and with all groups. We thank you for the challenges you give us and the ability to always follow you. In your name, Amen