It is a BIG Deal!

Have you ever heard the expression, “familiarity breeds contempt?” It was often used as a warning when I was growing up and I have found it to be true. The more familiar I become with things the less I hold them in awe. The more casual I feel and act around these things. I have seen this in many areas of life. In fact, this was forcibly brought to my attention this past weekend, here, let me share.

My alarm goes off at 4:20AM every weekday morning. After hitting the snooze button a couple of times, while trying to talk myself into getting out of bed, I get up and take a shower, get dressed and head for the kitchen. While Melinda is getting ready, I fix her breakfast. Now don’t get excited because I just put some cream cheese on a bagel and get a bit of yogurt out. I then fix my breakfast, eat, and quickly rinse off my dishes and place them in the dishwasher. We then head off to work.

Friday morning the routine was moving right along just fine. I wasn’t having to think and it was a good thing because my mind isn’t awake at that time of the morning. However, the routine came to an abrupt halt when I started to rinse off the dishes to put them in the dishwasher. Much to my chagrin there was water standing in both sides of the sink and it wasn’t there when I had gone to bed. Thus began two days of dealing with a plumbing situation that was the result of a full septic tank.

Saturday morning a tank truck pulled up to pump the septic tank. Out of the truck came two men who, without hesitation, began a process that I could tell they were very familiar with. The older man, who obviously was the boss, walked over to where the tank was located and sat down on a five-gallon bucket. The other man began to pull hoses off the truck and hooked them together. The boss then took one end and stuck it into the hole in the tank and the pumping began. After a little bit of time had passed the boss said something to the helper who then went over to where I had a shovel laying. He picked up the shovel, my shovel, and walked back to the tank and stuck the handle down into the septic tank moving it around. He then pulled it out and turned it over and stuck the blade down into the septic tank and moved it around.

I just want you to know that about the time the handle of that shovel disappeared into the septic tank there came over me a “spirit of generosity” because I decided right at that moment those two fellas had just gotten themselves a new shovel. I was never touching that shovel again! I didn’t and they did!

The difference between them and me was simply they were so accustom to working in that environment that they didn’t think twice about what they were doing I was standing thirty-feet away and I was worried I might get some on me. Familiarity breeds contempt! To them it was not big deal.

I have watched the waste disposal men reach into some strangers garbage can and pull out bags of garbage with their bare hands and think nothing of it. Then I have seen them climb in the truck and drive to the next place while eating or drinking. I have a hard time reaching into my own can and lifting out the bags. The difference between them and me is they do it every day and do it all day long. They have become familiar with it. Familiarity breeds contempt! To them it is no big deal.

Several days back I was reading a novel for some recreational reading. Melinda and I had been reading several books by a Christian author and had really enjoyed her light, humorous style of writing. I have not read a secular novel in over a year because I get tired of trying to find books that are not filled with curse words, sex and violence. As I was reading this particular book I came upon a “mild” curse word (I put mild in quotes because that is how it would be classified by most people) and I flinched. I read a bit further and came across another “mild” curse word. This time I looked to see if this was the author we had been reading and it was. I then looked at the copyright date and found it and realized that this book had been written before she had started writing as a Christian and although most would not consider it offensive, because I had not read those words in such a long time they were to me. Familiarity breeds contempt! It is a big deal!

Recently someone was telling me they had stopped watching television and movies. Their reason was they were trying to get closer to God and felt this was a hindrance in seeking that close relationship they desired. They said that after several months they were visiting another family and the television was turned on. The show that was being watched was a home and garden show. This person said that when the advertisements came on they were so offensive! They went on to explain they had never noticed this before but because they had been away from television for several weeks they noticed and were offended. Familiarity breeds contempt! It is a big deal!

I remember in times past doing something that I knew was wrong. Oh how it bothered me! I knew that God was going to come and I was going to be lost. I would get up in the middle of the night and repent because I was afraid God would come while I was asleep. Nevertheless I wouldn’t change and pretty soon I didn’t feel so bad about what I was doing. Now it wasn’t a big deal!

The American Indians had an explanation for the conscience. They said it was a circle inside of each man that had a triangle inside of it. When we do something wrong the triangle turns and its points hurt as the rub the wall of the circle. However, if we ignore the pain, long enough, the sharp points of the triangle will wear away and we will no longer hurt. What they were saying is, “Familiarity breeds contempt!” Or it is a big deal!

The wise man wrote, “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.” (Ecc. 8:11) What he is saying is because we do something wrong and God doesn’t “ZAP” us we continue and think it is all right. Why? Familiarity breeds contempt! We think it is no big deal!

I remember as a young teen hearing a Brother Charles Garner preach about Freddy the Frog. It seems some boys caught Freddy and wanted to cook him. They got them a pot of water and put it on to boil. When it came to a boil, they dropped ole Freddy right in the pot. Immediately ole Freddy jumped right back out of the boiling water. They put him back in and ole Freddy jumped out again. After several unsuccessful attempts to cook Freddy one of the boys got an idea. They poured the boiling water out of the pot and filled it with some nice cool tap water. They put Freddy in the cool water and he began to swim around. They put the pot back on the stove and Freddy continued to swim around. They watched as the pot of water began to warm up, anxiously watching to see if ole Freddy would try to jump out. Ole Freddy the Frog was doing the back stroke! He was swimming like a frogman! For a while that is until the water became nice and warm then he became sleepy and pretty soon ole Freddy the Frog was a cooked frog.

Brother Garner explained to us that is the way it is with sin. We watch for the “BIG” ones. We won’t rob a bank or murder someone with a gun. But the enemy of our soul knows that if he can slip in with something small pretty soon we won’t notice until it is too late. We become familiar and familiarity breeds contempt! It’s no big deal. We can handle it!

When was the last time we sincerely prayed asking God to “shine the spotlight” of His Word on our lives and show us what needs to be changed or removed? When was the last time we decided that no matter what everyone else was doing we were going to make some changes just because we wanted to draw closer to God?
I know that what I am writing isn’t usually found in a blog and will not be popular. I am sorry, I am not trying to be offensive but I truly believe that we have allowed ourselves to become familiar with the things in our lives that should not be there. It is time that we fall on our faces and seek heaven and turn from our sins. Familiarity does breed contempt! It is a big deal!

God Bless . . . it’s just a thought!