The grass withers, the flowers fade, but the word of our God remains forever. (Isaiah 40:6-8)
On Wednesdays I have the pleasure of going to lunch with my middle child and her 3rd grade class. Here lately every time we go and sit down at the long table with her friends there is always one child anxiously waiting for me to get settled so they can start asking me questions. “Does she really have 4 dogs?” “She said her dad climbed Mt. Everest, twice. Is that true?” “Does she really have a twin sister that stays home and doesn’t have to go to school?” As badly as I wanted to back her up and say oh yes he’s climbed Mt. Everest several times barefoot and walking backwards, I simply say no and give her the dreaded look all mothers give when they are entirely disappointed.
Of course as parents we strive to teach our children right from wrong from the very beginning. It seems easy for them to understand when your 2 year old slaps her big sister and you explain to her that we do not hit each other under any circumstances. And when your 8 year old tells her classmates that she slept in the freezer last night just to see what would happen it’s easy to tell her that not telling the truth is a sin and we should never tell a lie even if we are just trying to impress our friends thinking they will like us better. Sometimes it’s not so easy to explain to a young teenager that not only do we tell the truth but there is an absolute truth and that there really isn’t a gray area. Luckily, God set the standard for absolute truth and provided us with a written record of right and wrong, the Bible. It is complete, right, full of wisdom, and reliable.
God gave us a conscience to help us to know right from wrong but it can be flawed or weak because we are sinners by nature. We must rely on a higher standard to guide us because the Creator knows what is best for His creation. So what do we do if we are not clear on what to do? Pray. Pray. Pray until you get an answer. If you ask, God will give you the wisdom you need as you seek Him, as you study His word, and as you listen for His voice.
