(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Have you seen this cereal commercial?
Several women decry the frustration of nutrition and diet research which contradicts itself. Examples:
- Carbohydrates are good; carbohydrates are bad.
- Eliminate as much fat from your diet as possible; a little bit of fat is good for you.
- To lose weight, eat no more than 1500 calories a day. To lose weight, eat no more than 1200 calories a day.
And then the ladies say something like, “You know what? I’m not listening to expert advice anymore. I’m going to listen to me. I know better nutrition when I see it.”
I want to ask them: “And how do you know what’s good? How did you find out? What makes you wiser than the experts? Sure, they make mistakes. But haven’t you made a few yourselves?”
I’ve seen the same attitude in discussions of spiritual matters.
“Well, I believe…”
“In my opinion…”
“I just know that…”
Oh? Sometimes we forget that there is a standard for truth—the Bible. In the long run, it doesn’t really matter what we believe or think. What matters is what God’s Word says. If our thoughts and beliefs do not coincide with the Bible, we’re on the wrong track.
Bible Study 1 (Photo credit: DrGBB)
“The Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding” (Proverbs 2:6). In other words, God is the only source of true wisdom. We humans cannot manufacture it on our own.
God pointedly warns us about thinking of ourselves as experts of wisdom. “Do not be wise in your own eyes,” he says (3:7a). “The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice” (12:15).
EXPERT (Photo credit: Pete Prodoehl)
I, for one, would not set myself up as an expert, like the women in the commercial. I don’t always know what’s good for me. I’m not that smart!
Instead, my measuring tool is God’s Word. That’s where I turn to verify if my line of thinking is straight. There is only one Mastermind, the One who created me. And unlike human experts, he is completely trustworthy.*
It would behoove me to know what he thinks before I spout off my own opinions.
English: Eric H. Cline excavating at Megiddo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
* The Bible is also trustworthy, proven time and again to be accurate, by the ancient manuscripts, archaeology, prophecy, and other proofs. You may wish to read Biblical Archaeology: A Very Short Introduction by Eric H. Cline and The Evidence of Prophecy edited by Robert C. Newman for a deeper study of these fascinating topics.
From the Inside Out 
What’s even more is that the Bible has proven to be trustworthy in MY life….I have found God’s presence changes me, his Holy Spirit which He promised will continually reveal and heal and bring freedom. How do I know it? My life is proof!
Yes, indeed–Jesus *changes* lives! We become new creations; the old is gone, the new has come (2 Cor. 5:17). It’s a fresh start. Thank you for giving credence to the miracle that occurs every time a person says “yes” to Jesus!
The longer I am around, Nancy the more I know I don’t know and am far from an expert. What I used to count on as solid beliefs, not crumble and I only look to God. Good thought provoking post!
Great post, Nancy! We have the Bible (God’s Word), the Holy Spirit (who interprets God’s Word for us…if we only listen), and Jesus Himself (who bought us with His Blood, freeing us from all sin if we choose to accept His sacrifice). We have it ALL! Making it more complicated…well…we become our own worst stumbling block! Praise His Name!
You’re right: We have it ALL! Everything we need for a fulfilling, abundantly joyful life. And with you I say, Praise his name! Thank you for the praise-generating reminders!
And one more thing… In this ever-changing world with its attempts to eradicate God from schools, ground zero, etc… it is a comfort and certainty that the Bible stands alone, is a constant in my life, and is not ever-changing with each blow of the wind. What a comfort and guide, indeed!
One thing I do know that God’s Word is the truth and my guide. Thanks Nancy, you always get us thinking, and I love it..
Praise God for the guiding truth of his Word! I can’t imagine life without it, and know you feel the same. Part of the power of God’s Word is the way it can unite believers in understanding, in praise, and more. Our Bible studies have done that for me–uniting me with delightful women around the cohesive force of the Bible. You are certainly one of those delightful women!