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!

When God Gives You a Wakeup Call, Don't Hit Snooze!

What in the world is that noise! Go away, you are annoying me! Oops! It is the alarm clock. My sleep blurred eyes try to focus on the red illuminated numbers on the clock. I blink them and try to again focus. Suddenly I am wide awake! The clock say’s it is 6:45 AM! I had hit snooze!
This is how my morning started one day several years ago when I was a school bus driver. My day normally started with the sound of the alarm clock going off at the awful hour of 5:15 AM. That was in good weather, if it was freezing cold the day started earlier in order to get the bus warm. I usually would hit the snooze button and grab a few more precious minutes of sleep. I would get up by 5:30. I would take a shower, fix some breakfast and be at the bus garage by 6:15. This would give me time to do my pre-trip inspection and get the bus ready to hit the road. I would pick up my first child, who lived twelve miles from the school, at 6:40.
On this particular morning I was already five minutes late picking up my first child and I hadn’t even got out of bed yet. Needless to say, I rushed! I drove fast! I had the bus garage call the radio station to announce that bus 70 was running late! This is not the way I recommend starting your day. Parents were upset because their schedules had been delayed. They had to wait on me. Students were upset because they were late for school and some of them missed the breakfast the school provided. Most of all, I was extremely embarrassed because everyone in the county knew that I had run late that day, it was on the radio. I even had people at church ask me about why I was late. I learned when you get a wake up call, don’t hit snooze!
In life we get wake up calls, or that is what I call them. You are driving down the road and suddenly a light comes on in the dash. There is a little gas pump that is all lit up. A wake up call! You are almost out of gas. If you are driving down the interstate in Arkansas and you edge just a little too far to the right your tires will hit a series of bumps. I call them wake up bumps because they are there to warn you that you are in danger of leaving the pavement. It is a wake up call.
I have had incidents happen in my life that I would have to recognize as wake up calls. These were times when God has done something to get my attention and help me realize I needed to become aware of where I was headed. It was His way of saying, “Hello in there! Wake up and pay attention!”
It might be a message that I hear preached that tells me, “Wake up!” It might be a sickness that comes upon me or a loved one. It might be a near tragedy or some other event that makes me realize I am headed in the wrong direction, I am asleep at the wheel, and I am not a wake to the reality of my situation. Wake up calls from God! Don’t hit snooze!
Paul tells us in the book of Romans the alarm is sounding and it is time to get up. If time was short when we came to Christ, how much shorter is it now? Walk in the light of Christ! Follow His Word! Put on the Lord Jesus Christ and don’t give the flesh an opportunity to cause you to sin! Hey, God is giving you a wake up call, don‘t hit snooze! (Romans 13:11-14)
We know we are living in the last days before Jesus comes back for His Church. Look at the signs of the times. Read the news. Listen to the alarms that are going off. Don’t hit snooze!
Jesus likened it to the time before the flood. The people were living life as they always had lived it. They knew Noah was building a boat. They had heard him preach there was going to be a flood. However, they said we have heard him preach that for the past 100 years and it hasn’t happened yet. They hit snooze!
Lot’s daughters and son-in-laws said you are a foolish old man! We have never seen fire rain from heaven. We have never seen a city destroyed like you say. We are having a great time and don’t want to change. They hit snooze!
Even if God doesn’t come in your lifetime or mine, death will come to all. You don’t know when, and then again you do know that we are told it is appointed unto man to die and then he will face God in judgment. I have been to funerals of more young people than old. You are never too young to die! Let this be your wake up call, please don’t hit snooze!
I have known of people to ignore wake up calls. They have continued on to do what they had started out to do. They have been warned! They have been cautioned! Yet they gave no heed and went their way only to destroy their lives. They didn’t die. The rapture didn’t take place. No, they got to live their lives with the pain and suffering that came from ignoring the wake up call from God. They hit snooze!
When God sends a wake up call your way, stop! Look! Listen! Pay attention to what you are being told! Get on your face before God and allow Him to examine you. Allow Him to show you what you need to do. Give Him the opportunity to show you how to live your life. I like the way the Psalmist put it:
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” Ps 139:23-24
When God send a wake up call, don’t hit snooze!
Just a thought! God Bless.