UNRELIABLE

How many months—no, make that years—had these stilts and pogo-sticks knocked around our storage areas and yard? I can't remember. When my grandboys tried to walk or jump on them, the results weren't pretty. Let's just say that I wasn't ready to stock up on a bushel of bandaids. Finally, I posted this photo (FREE! FREE!) on a local internet selling site.. A few days later these instruments of torture (for a grandma trying to keep her grands safe) were gone. Whew. 

The stilts' final “re-homing” got me thinking about folks whose egos exceed their actual abilities. The apostle Paul had something to say about that: “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you” (Romans 12:3). To paraphrase: Don't act big when you're not big. Be humble and realistic in accepting your strengths and weaknesses.

As for the pogo sticks, they reminded me of people who bounce around in life without really getting anywhere. It may involve bad friends, abandoned attempts at education or jobs, or physical and mental health issues that never get resolved. They just can't stick with a program and finish it. The apostle James, talking about perseverence as an essential lesson in faith, nailed it with this about indecisiveness:

He who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. (James 1:6b-7)

The apostle's sea-worthy analogy certainly described my grandboys endangering life and limb on the pogo stick. And it “nailed it” for doubters, can't-make-up-their-minders, and those who weave from one bad choice to another instead of steadfastly following God's paths.

Paul urged the Ephesian believers to “walk worthy of the calling with which you were called.” That included “lowliness, gentleness, longsuffering, bearing with one another, striving for unity in the body.” (Ephesians 4:1-3). Later to the Colossians, he urged walking “in a manner worthy of the Lord,” bearing fruit for God and growing in the faith (Colossians 1:10-11).

Such behaviors are far from wobbling all over the place like novice stilt-walkers and pogo-stickers. And maybe there's a message here about any worldly play-things (like unhealthy relationships, internet/drug/alcohol addictions, wasteful spending) that distract us from walking steadfastly with the Lord.