It was a not-so-subtle reminder of how much I hate those words. I am not “gifted” with tools and such. We had purchased a Cadillac treadmill for my wife and then I picked it up at the store, there on the box were those words. Assembly required. My mind raced back to that day in our garage. Dozens of scattered tools and parts littered the garage floor. In the middle of that mess was a large, folded paper that was clearly labeled “Instructions.”
Now you need to know that I always start with the best of intentions. Just follow the instructions and assembly should pose no problem. But I am a man and that works well until about step number four. That is when the inflated ego kicks in and the instructions get pushed aside.
That computer desk that should have assembled in an hour had now been spread across the garage floor for three hours. When I neglected to read the instructions and went with my best intuition, I assembled some parts out of sequence. To install the final part, I had to disassemble half the unit. If I had only read and followed the instructions, I could have spared myself the anger, frustration, and sense of failure that invaded my life that night.
There are far to many well-meaning, professing Christians who fall victim to what I call “Biblicus Neglectus.” They tend to push God’s instruction guide aside and do their best to live a godly life. The reasons vary, but the results are the same. Eventually, strife, strain, and struggles roar into their lives and most retreat into cynicism, frustration, and despair. Occasional chaos is an unpleasant fact. Whether you become a victim or victor really depends on how closely you read and follow the instructions.
Assembling a life that pleases God is a life-long pursuit for the true follower of the Lord Jesus. There are mountain tops and valleys, joy, and sorry, pleasure and pain, all of which God uses to refine His children. The psalmist reminds us that God has given eternal, indestructible guidelines to know Him and how He wants us to live. The quality of our lives is related to how we answer this question: “Will I read and follow His instructions today?”
Psalm 119 is all about God’s word. Verses sixteen, eighteen, and 105 are worth memorizing. Summarily they state “I take pleasure in Your laws; Your commands I will not forget. Open my eyes so that I may see the wonderful truths in Your law. Your word is a lamp to guide me and a light for my path. Read the directions. It will change your life!
