Sticks

I posted a quote on Facebook yesterday and it goes like this

“The best way to prove a stick is crooked is to lay a straight one beside it” Vance Havner

I suppose Vance Havner said this, I can’t verify that it’s true but there are a bunch of similar statements made by well-known people throughout history.  Charles Spurgeon, Dwight Moody, Corrie ten Boom said: “God can give a straight blow with a crooked stick.”

Spurgeon is always so Spurgeon-Esq in how he phrases it.

If a crooked stick is before you, you need not explain how crooked it is.  Lay a straight one down by the side of it, and the work is well done.  Preach the truth, and error will stand abashed in its presence.

Here is the crux of the issue.  I don’t care about sticks…  I do care about the truth.

When we lay a straight stick next to a crooked stick we can see the difference.  That’s the point of the quote.  If we gather enough information and evidence to compare the sticks it makes it really easy to see.

It’s when we “won’t” compare them is when the trouble occurs.  If we refuse or if we believe our sticks are already straight this creates a cognitive dissonance of sorts.  We reject reality and critical thinking.

This often times always requires getting outside of our bubble.   Inside our bubble things are safe.  The status quo is rarely never challenged.    If we have indicators around us that things are not right then we need to be Berean.  We should always be Berean.  We should always compare what we are hearing to what the Scripture says and to what others teach.

Let’s say we hear “new” teaching, do we just trust that it’s okay?  Or do we challenge it?  Do we compare?  We have thousands of years of teaching, we have solid teaching all around us, so don’t just trust for the sake of trusting.

Crooked sticks abound.

“And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  John 8:32

Kevin