| Think on These Things |
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Posted: Wednesday, August 29, 2012 5:01 pm
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Reverend Frank I. Williams
Are you ready for the Word!
“My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. If they say, ‘Come with us, let us lie in wait to shed blood; let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause’… My son, do not walk in the way with them, keep your foot from their path;” Proverbs 1:10-15
I write this week with the students in the school system on my heart. I was recently reminded how challenging the educational system can be in urban centers like New York City. Our children and youth have too many distractions that limit their full engagement in their academic work. Schools are supposed to provide a safe, nurturing environment that maximize the potential of each student. Yet, it many of our communities it is not so. Instead, it is reported that teachers are intimidated by parents, petrified to correct disrespectful students, and powerless to create a disciplined atmosphere in his or her classroom. Then there are those who would contend that teachers are not as focused on the educating of the students, and our students are being shoveled through a broken system with underprepared staff. Whatever your view, one thing we can agree on is something has got to change because at the end of the day it is the students who suffer most.
Is it any wonder that bullying has increased so much that it has gained national attention. Hoping to prevent violence and bring control, some schools have armed police officers on the premises. Students are being arrested – even children are taken away in handcuffs. This ought not be so.
The Scripture passage above offers this word of wisdom that I would like to pass on to students –do not walk in the way of violence and do not consent to the luring advances of those who are up to no good. There are lessons that every adult wishes they would have understood much earlier in life. And its not that those lessons were unavailable to us, its that we refused to listen and ended up learning them the hard way. Much of the problematic experiences in life could be avoided by practicing one thing – listening to and respecting authority.
I encourage the youth to slow down, because you may be running too fast to see what’s in front of you. Many years ago when I took driving lessons I learned this rule – at night never drive faster than the reach of your headlights. In other words, make sure that your speed is not so fast that if an obstacle were to appear in your way you would not have enough time to slow down, change lanes, or safely swerve to avoid a collision. In our younger days many people often “drive” without rules, and act without thinking. This leads to many avoidable collisions.
You can keep your foot from that path by listening to the wisdom of others. This means avoiding gangs, avoiding marijuana, and not consenting to the voices that will destroy your future. Remember, in life, you don’t have to take every class to learn the lesson. Meaning, that you don’t have to go down the same road and experience every wrong choice to say you have learned the lesson for yourself. “Been there, done that,” does not have to become your mantra. Others have “been there,” so learn from their lessons and don’t go there. Others have “done that,” so pick up the clues from their experiences and don’t repeat the same errors. That is the purpose of the proverbs – to teach us life lessons through the wisdom of God’s perspective. Lets simplify this week’s lesson into this axiom – “I am not taking that class.” When gangs tempt you, don’t take that class; when distractions come your way, don’t take that class. When other options lure you to forget your main purpose for being in school, don’t take that class.
Are you learning the lessons? Are you managing the life classes you take? Do so with wisdom. Think on these things. |
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