Standard Unit of Measurement

When my wife and I last visited our hometown, and were at my mother's place, my mother had made an interesting comment that got me thinking.

I had just made coffee for everyone there, and as soon as I had finished bringing everyone's coffee out to them, and they had gotten the chance to sample their first sips, she said, "Wow, this is great! Why does it taste so much better every time YOU make it!?"

I replied through the laughter, "I don't know!" Then I thought about it for a few seconds, and said, "You know, the key is, not to make it too strong because then it gets oversaturated and you can't really taste the flavor anymore. But obviously, you don't want to make it too weak, because then it just gets watery, and you can't taste the flavor that way either."

"Mmmm," she said, as she mulled it over. You know what? I want to watch you make it next time, so I know exactly what you're doing, ok?

"Sure," I said. "No problem."

So, the next time I made coffee later on that same day, I showed her what I did, and she was surprised to notice that I used a tablespoon instead of the generic plastic tablespoon that a lot of people seem to use.

"Oh, you use an actual spoon?" she said

"Yes, definitely."

"Why do you do that?"

"Well, as I'm sure you've noticed, some coffees are stronger or weaker than others, whether it be a dark, medium, or light roast, etc, and so using the same spoon every time I make coffee ensures that I have the same standard of measurement. This way, I can see how much more, or less to put in, according to each different roast, in comparison to the last time I made it, you know?"

"Ahhh," she said, as she had a eureka moment!

This little story may be silly on its face, but it's dynamic actually presents a pretty powerful lesson, if we have eyes to see, and ears to hear.

How are we to make proper adjustments to the last time, or way that we did something, if we don't continuously refer back to the same standard of measurement? The answer is a rhetorical one, we simply can't.

When those who work for the US Treasury are assigned to identify and seize loads of illegally manufactured counterfeit money, their intensive and thorough training is what allows them to make the subtle distinctions between the fake bills, and the genuine article that the untrained eye is unable to see.

It is interesting to note that a big part of this training is for them to SPEND AS MUCH TIME WITH THE REAL as they can. They weigh it, pick it up with their hands and feel its weight, they rub the surface of the bill with their thumbs to feel its texture underneath them, and they hold it up to the light to see what's revealed. Becoming so acquainted with the real thing allows them to eventually be able to spot a fake a mile away. All because they spent so much time studying their real standard of measurement.

Aren't we as Christians commissioned to do the same thing?

Yes we are, and our unwaveringly universal standard of measurement is God's Word itself!

But nevermind what I have to say about it, let's look at what the Bible has to say about itself, starting with Hebrews 4:12,

12 "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."

2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT

"All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right."

And finally, we look at Isaiah 40:8 ESV

"The grass withers, the flower fades,

but the word of our God will stand forever."

And so we see as scripture clearly indicates to us that a huge part of the Bible's effect in our lives is to act as that constant living standard of measurement.

Yes is it absolutely crucial to be sensitive to The Holy Spirit, especially in Prayer, and try to listen to Him and discern where He is leading each of us. However as human beings, we unfortunately have the capability and the tendency to want what we want, when we want it, so badly that me may even unconsciously try to deceive ourselves and say, "Well, God told me to do it!"

A great remedy for this, whether I feel strongly inspired about something or not, is to cultivate the habit of checking those inspirations against what Scripture has to say, automatically, without even thinking about it. This serves as a great guidepost against self deception, and remember, if you stay in The Word, then you never have to get back in it! Lol

If you find mnemonic devices helpful, then this next one is for you! I have taken the liberty of developing this little acronym:

U.S.E.

In this context, it is for our USE of the Word of God in our daily lives, and particularly when it comes to our decision making.

It simply stands for our Unit of Standard Execution!

Having God's loving Word as the backdrop and baseline of our thought life will prove most helpful, and will inevitably produce some great fruit in our lives of we stick with it! Amen!? C'mon let me get a hand clap! 🙏🏼❤️👏🏼

There ya go, thank you!

Questions and Reflection:

How often do I read, study, or meditate on scripture?

Have I ever been convinced that a certain decision or action was God's will for my life, when in fact after suffering some negative repercussions, and consequences it was made clear that it wasn't in fact His will for me or for my life, and may have even hurt myself or someone else around me?

How often do I incorporate His Word into my daily thought life, and decision making process?

If not often enough, what can I do to change that, and start to solidify this all important and healthy habit in my life?

Prayer:

All Loving God, we love you back, and Praise you for the privilege of being able to bask in Your presence, and ponder the significance of incorporating you living ways into our lives on a daily basis, even Your Living Word, Lord.

Lord, by your Grace please give us a hunger, a longing, and a desire to spend more time with You, the genuine article, and with Your Word, that we may fall ever more deeply in Love with Your Presence, and Your ways of doing things, God!

For we know that as you clearly spoke to us in Jeremiah 29:11, "I know the plans I have for you declares, the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a hope and a future."

But in order to get to those plans Lord, help us to continuously "examine our ways and test them," (Lamentations 3:40,) so that we ourselves may not only be Blessed, but that those around us might be Blessed to want to know You better as well, for our good and for Your Glory!

In Jesus' Name, Amen 🙏🏼