This is part two of a revision and repost of an April 2016 post about a trip to Nashville, Tennessee and a visit to the Lane Motor Museum.
Indecision – A breeding ground for inaction and for doubts about God’s sovereignty, your salvation, and a host of other questions that Satan will interject so that your devotion to your Lord will be diverted or, perhaps even, diminished!
This firemen’s vehicle from Cogolin, France seems to be the perfect visual representation of indecision!
Close up view of the two front ends of the Firemen’s vehicle, Cogolin, France.
No matter how it got to Nashville, it seems to me to be a classic representation of indecision.
Previously we looked at James, the brother of Jesus and the author of the book of James in Scripture, when he spoke of indecision and its difficulties. Specifically, He said:
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
James 1:5-8.
The King James Version of this scripture uses the term “wavereth” rather than the term “doubting” in verse 6. Looking up the meaning of this word in Strong’s Lexicon, you find that one definition given for G1252, diakrinō, the Greek word translated “doubting” in the ESV and “wavereth” in the KJV is “to be at variance with one’s self, hesitate, doubt”.
Being at variance with yourself seems to be the quintessential description of indecision!
The reality of indecision, however, is not the point. Rather, James is warning that those who are “at variance with” themselves must not suppose that they “will receive anything from the Lord” in answer to her prayers.
The consequence of indecision is that the Lord will not be responsive to the prayer that is subject of doubt.
Of course, we also must remember that prayers must be made in alignment with God’s will for answers to be received. I am confident that Paul did not doubt when he prayed to be relieved from his physical infirmity. But he did not get the relief that he desired. Rather, God told him “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” See 2 Corinthians 12:7-10.
The fact is that fervent, unwavering prayer raised to God’s throne does not equate to the instant resolution that we may envision. Pain is real, but grace is overwhelming and eternal. I have learned that when I am weak, then I am strong because it is God working through me, and that makes all the difference!
Don’t be double minded – be single minded. Have your mind focused on the Trinity: on God, on Jesus Christ, and on His Holy Spirit. Look to the Lord’s way for your life and you will be blessed, even through unexpected answers to your prayers.
Father, forgive me, I pray, when I have prayed while doubting that an answer would come. You are sovereign and I desire to yield to Your guidance and authority in all things. Strengthen me in this, I pray.
This is a revision and repost of an April 2016 post about a trip to Nashville, Tennessee and a visit to the Lane Motor Museum.
Have you ever wondered, considered, fretted, worried, and then wondered again about taking some course of action? What should I do? Where should I go? Should I change jobs or retire? What medical procedure would be the best? What should I order in a restaurant that I won’t be wearing around my hips 5 years from now? (Okay, that last one is a bit of a stretch, I concede!)
Indecision – this is the breeding ground for inaction and it is breeding ground for doubts about God’s sovereignty, your salvation, and a host of other questions that Satan will interject so that your devotion to your Lord will be diverted or, perhaps even, diminished!
When we stopped at the Lane Motor Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, we saw a vehicle that seemed to me to be a visual representation of indecision!
Firemen’s vehicle, Cogolin, France.
My first thought when I saw this vehicle was “This is a pushmi-pullyu!!”
Pushmi-Pullyu was a fictional character from The Story of Doctor Dolittle, written by Hugh Loftling in the 1920s. The pushmi-pullyu (pronounced “push-me—pull-you”) was a “gazelle-unicorn cross” which had a head at each end of its body.
Although the pushmi-pullyu was fictional, the vehicle in front of me at the museum was not!
I am told, although I am no French expert to be sure, that “Sapeurs-Pompiers” is French for firemen. Cogolin is a small city in south east France in the French region Provence-Alpes-Cot d’Azur. The town has about 11000 people. So, this vehicle, with its two steering wheels, two front tires, two front windshields … two working front ends was, apparently, at least at one point in time, a fire vehicle for the town of Cogolin, France.
How it came to be at the Lane Motor Museum in Tennessee is unknown to me, but I can attest that it was there! But, its travel to Tennessee is irrelevant; it seems to me to be a classic representation of the “pushmi-pullyu” conflict that is also known as “indecision”.
James, the brother of Jesus and the author of the book of James in Scripture, speaks of indecision and its difficulties.
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
James 1:5-8.
Don’t be a pushmi-pullyu! Don’t be double minded – be single minded. Have your mind focused on the Trinity: on God, on Jesus Christ, and on His Holy Spirit. Look to the Lord’s way for your life and you will be blessed, even through unexpected answers to your prayers.
Father, forgive me, I pray, when I have prayed while doubting that an answer would come. Forgive me when I have simply failed to yield control of my life to You, in all things. Strengthen me in this, I pray.
We found this interesting vehicle on display when we visited the Lane Motor Museum in Nashville, Tennessee. See the post PUSHMI-PULLYU – INDECISION IS HARMFUL! that was posted April 26, 2016 for more information about our visit to the Museum and this interesting vehicle.
Firemen’s vehicle, Cogolin, France.
At first glance, I thought it was interesting that it seemed to have front headlights on the back end as well as at the front. Upon a more focused look at the vehicle, I realized that it was two front halves put together.
Close up view of the two front ends of the Firemen’s vehicle, Cogolin, France.
Fairly odd looking, I have to say. Obviously, this would be impossible to drive if both “front ends” were engaged at the same time. Yet, on a spiritual basis, this is what we do all the time in connection with the irreconcilable contrast between “good and evil”.
We affirmatively state that God is good. Indeed, we know that goodness is one of God’s attributes.
“And [God] said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The LORD.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.”
Exodus 33:19 ESV
“For how great is his goodness, and how great his beauty!.”
Zechariah 9:17 ESV
The Apostle Paul even notes that goodness is part of the fruit of the Spirit which we are to grow in our own hearts and minds as we allow Him to transform us into the likeness of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,”
Galatians 5:22 ESV
The reality for us, however, is that goodness is not what we see on a daily basis in either ourselves or our world. Rather than goodness, we see evil, selfishness, pride, injustice, violence, hatred, and hurt. In short, we see sin, disobedience to God’s Word, in both our own life and in the life of our community and the world.
It is the height of arrogance to think that mankind is good. A review of the daily headlines shows that this is not the case. That same arrogance produces the thought that we are good at any time … even our best “good deeds” are described in Scripture as “filthy rags”. Isaiah 64:6 [KJV].
Dr. R. C. Sproul says:
Sin is cosmic treason. Sin is treason against a perfectly pure Sovereign. It is an act of supreme ingratitude toward the One to whom we owe everything, to the One who has given us life itself. Have you ever considered the deeper implications of the slightest sin, of the most minute peccadillo? What are we saying to our Creator when we disobey Him at the slightest point? We are saying no to the righteousness of God. We are saying “God, Your law is not good. My judgment is better than Yours. Your authority does not apply to me. I am above and beyond Your jurisdiction. I have the right to do what I want to do, not what You command me to do.”
…
The slightest sin is an act of defiance against cosmic authority. It is a revolutionary act, a rebellious act in which we are setting ourselves in opposition to the One to whom we owe everything. It is an insult to His holiness.
So, we know that we are not good and that sin and evil abounds in and around us. But we then argue that if God is good, it would appear that God is not watching, He doesn’t care, or He is incapable of helping us in a world that is so full of evil. While some feel this way, I suggest that the opposite is true. Turning to Dr. Sproul’s comments again, he says:
… He [God] is so slow to anger that when His anger does erupt, we are shocked and offended by it. We forget rather quickly that God’s patience is designed to lead us to repentance, to give us time to be redeemed. Instead of taking advantage of this patience by coming humbly to Him for forgiveness, we use this grace as an opportunity to become more bold in our sin. We delude ourselves into thinking that either God doesn’t care about it, or that He is powerless to punish us. … The supreme folly is that we think we will get away with our revolt.
When it appears that God is not working in our world, the reality is that He is waiting. He is exercising His patience. He is allowing evil to continue because there are those who have not yet recognized the Spirit’s conviction of sin and who have not yet received the gift of salvation through faith in Christ alone.
Can evil/sin exist with good/holiness? The answer to this inquiry is an emphatic “no!” Sinful mankind cannot appear before the Holy God who is the essence of goodness. But through Jesus Christ, God has made a way for us to be forgiven of our sin and washed in the righteousness of His Son.
Christ of the Ozarks, Missouri, USA (circa 1965)
“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
John 14:6 ESV
If God were to wipe out all evil, those who have not yet received Jesus Christ as their Savior would be lost forever. Thus, God waits patiently until all His children have come to Him. . Paul says in Romans:
“Or do you presume on the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?”
Romans 2:4 ESV
For a time, it may appear that people are successful in their revolt against God and His Anointed One. For a time, it may appear that evil has won the battle and that God is helpless to give aid or comfort to His people.
Beloved, this is a delusion, a fiction of the highest magnitude.
When God slams down His gavel in judgment of all mankind, there will be no time then for people to confess their sin and to receive the gift of salvation. The time of God’s mercy will be over. His patient waiting will be completed. At that point it will be the time of judgment.
“Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as He is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning.
1 John 3:7-8 ESV
Don’t be double minded. Goodness and evil/righteousness and sin/light and dark cannot coexist. Look to Jesus Christ, confess your sin, receive His righteousness and live then in goodness and light, through His power alone.
Father, cleanse my heart from its sin and double-mindedness. Enable me, through Your Spirit, to live my life in dedication to You and to Your will. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to You, my God and my Redeemer.
When we were in Nashville recently, we took a trip to Lane Motor Museum. The recommendation from the hotel “things to see and do” data sheet indicated that this would be a worthwhile excursion.
Lane Motor Museum building, Nashville, Tennessee.
We found the museum to be fun, educational and interesting, even to me as a non-car person! (Regarding that last characterization statement: When I rented a car for work travel, my husband would ask “what car did you drive” and I would respond “a blue one”.)
A 1938 Tatra at the Lane Motor Museum. This car was made in Czechoslovakia.
The museum was truly interesting and it showcased the fact that the design of vehicles is open to interpretation and what is beautiful for one may not be the same for another.
1929 BMW IHLE-600 at the Lane Motor Museum, Nashville, TN.Lane Motor Museum, Nashville, Tennessee exhibit of a 1951 Hoffman
According to the information card by the vehicle, the 1951 Hoffman was designed and built by Michael Hoffman. It has 3 wheels, small engine, slow speed, and rear wheel steering. The vehicle’s handling, again according to the information card, was like “a drunk leaving a hotel bar”.
1973 Citroen SM Coupe at the Lane Motor Museum.A BMW Isetta at the Lane Motor Museum. You get into the car by opening the front of the vehicle.The USMC Mighty Mite, a 1960 AMC-AV-108-4 on display at the Lane Motor Museum in Nashville, Tennessee.
During a video tour of the museum, one of the speakers made a statement that resonated with me. He was pointing out the wide variety of exhibits in the museum, vehicles with 2-wheels, 3-wheels, 4-wheels, and even 1 wheel.
The Trident is a 3-wheel vehicle at the Lane Motor Museum.
Here’s a picture of the 1-wheel vehicle, the 1998 McLean Wheel!
The McLean Wheel, Lane Motor Museum, Nashville, Tennessee.
The McLean Wheel is a monowheel. In other words, it is one big wheel with the rider and the engine inside the circumference. It differs from a unicycle which has the rider above the wheel. The monowheel depends on a gyroscopic effect to keep it upright. Like a bicycle, it is unstable at slow speeds. At 15 mph, you can put your feet on the footpegs. Turning is accomplished by leaning. Obviously, it takes patience and practice to learn to successfully ride the monowheel.
Returning to the video, the museum representative said all the exhibits in the museum were intended to do just one thing – transport a person from one place to another. (That’s not a word-for-word quote, but the meaning is the same.) People have thought up a variety of ways to accomplish this one goal; but, the fundamental purpose for each of these vehicles is the same.
When listening to the video, I saw this museum as an analogy of mankind seeking God. Many people look to various philosophies, programs, and rituals in their attempt to achieve a relationship with God. Good works are done with the hope that it will appease God and, when all is tallied up at the end of our life, we will have more on the good side than on the bad side – so God will have to let us into heaven.
The desire is the same; the goal is the same; it is just that the methods are different. Indeed, there are even bumper stickers that assert that all religions are the same. If we are sincere in what we are doing, it will all work out right in the end!
Not so, Holy Scripture says. Running around acting religious or trying hard will not do the trick. In Mark we read that after Jesus had been teaching, he wanted to go to a desolate place to get away from the press of the crowd. He got into a boat and left the area.
“When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.” – [Mark 6:34 ESV]
In teaching about the way to get to heaven and to live eternally, He created a word picture that the people would readily understand, sheep in the sheepfold with the shepherd watching over them. We may not have experience with this, but the hearers of our Lord Jesus certainly did. He said:
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” – [John 10:1-3 ESV]
“I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture…. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” – [John 10:9, 11 ESV]
A bit later in John, Jesus is explicit in his teaching, no confusion here … He said:
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” – [John 14:6 ESV]
Jesus is saying that He, and only He, is the way to God. There is no other. If you want to spend eternity with God in heaven, you must come by way of Jesus Christ, the One who redeemed you when He sacrificed His body on the cross, Who rose from the dead the third day, and Who now sits at the right hand of God the Father.
There are a host of designs for automobiles and vehicles for transport of persons and packages. The purpose is the same and each design fulfills that singular purpose.
But this is diametrically opposed to what happens when people seek God in their own way.
There are many religions, philosophies, plans, religious systems, and rituals that have the same purpose of seeking God. But, while the purpose is the same, the result is not. All of man’s attempts to reach God will fail miserably; in short they will not achieve the purpose of eternal life with God in heaven.
God has given us the Way to Him in His Word. There is only one Way to go to the Father, and that is through Jesus Christ.
All roads do not reach the same destination – and all methods of religion do not suffice for achieving eternal life in heaven.
“if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” – [Romans 10:9-10 ESV]
The way to reach heaven and eternal life is singular … it is through belief in and reliance upon the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Seek Him, and you shall be saved.
Father, I thank you that you sent your Son to be our Savior and that He came so that we would have life eternal. I pray that your Word would become real to each person reading this prayer and that, if they have not come to Jesus in faith, your Spirit would quicken them, in Jesus name I pray.
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