I know you have eaten in a diner where the table was wobbly because one leg was a little short (and you probably put a wad of a napkin under it.) Do you know that a three-legged stool will never wobble? A carpenter puts a diagonal brace in a structure because he transforms a rectangular object into two triangles thus stabilizing the structure.
When rock climbing or climbing a ladder, the safest way is to always have three points of contact—move only one foot or hand at a time.
You see where I am going with this, right? Something of “threes” brings stability. A three-legged stool never wobbles.
“Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:12 NKJV).
In the wobbly world we live in, let’s look at the three legs of stability. In a stable society, we need three points of contact to stay secure. We need faith, family, and community.
FIRST LEG—FAITH:
Faith in God gives us a purpose beyond ourselves. We are not a blob of flesh flying aimlessly through the cosmos. We are creatures created by a wise, powerful, and righteous Creator. God did not willy-nilly put the universe in motion. Yahweh is a God of purpose, order, unshakable principles, and continuing life.
If a human life does not have purpose—then what’s the point to it all. An atheist who says he has purpose is speaking out of both sides of his mouth. An eternal purpose from God puts wind to our otherwise limp sails. Purpose will get you up in the morning. Purpose will keep you going when the world screams for you to stop. Purpose will give you something to live for and it will give you something to die for.
God created the world out of chaos. “The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep” (Gen. 1:2a). The disobedience of Adam and Eve brought the chaos of sin and death back into God’s order. God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to reintroduce the order of righteousness and life by Christ’s death and resurrection.
God’s principles are steadfast. Seedtime and harvest are not random. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Obedience brings blessings and disobedience brings curses. If we save our lives then we will lose our lives; however, if we lose our lives for His sake, then we will gain our lives.
The life of God is a continuing life. The seed we plant in our garden was not created in a laboratory; it is a generation of seed from an unbroken lineage of thousands of generations from the beginning of time. We were in the mind of God before time began and God created us to live forever. Believe in Jesus and LIVE!
SECOND LEG—FAMILY:
Family was created by God when He made a man and woman for procreation and dominion of the earth. God created the family, and the family structure is the basis of all functioning communities. In the beginning God made a man and woman and told them to take dominion of the earth and multiply. He did not create any other alternatives or options.
The family is the backbone of society. Society breaks down when families break down. If you look at the statistics and are honest, you will see this plainly. Stable families make for stable cultures and stable communities.
There are many broken families in our world. If someone is born with a handicap of some sort, they learn to deal with it even though it is not the optimal condition. Likewise, many family units do the best they can to cope with their broken situation, but that still does not erase the disadvantage forced upon them.
Fatherless homes are more likely to be poor. Children raised in structureless homes often suffer the rest of their lives. Young children feel a sense of security when their lives are ordered and stable—a child needs the same bed and the same nighttime routine. A child who is not loved will seek unhealthy relationships as an adult trying to find the love never known. If a child is continuously criticized and never encouraged, it is likely they will quit trying altogether.
THIRD LEG—COMMUNITY:
Community is a gathering together for mutual benefit, order, and safety. First, God made a couple, then came a family. As the offspring of that first family began to multiply, household families sprouted and branched into extended families. Out those larger families, clans developed, then tribes, and then nations.
We were made to be connected to other people forming communities with the complexities of life ordered and organized in a social context that can be known, understood, and expected. Communities have economies, social norms, laws, traditions, and ways of life that are woven into the fabric of everyday life. People need to know what to expect from those around them.
We see many of our cities on a slide of ruin because the norms have changed. A business owner’s property and merchandise are no longer protected from thieves so he cannot expect profit, protection, and justice. Criminals are favored over victims reversing the true course of justice. The law-abiding suffer at the hands of the lawless because lawbreaking is not punished. Normalcy of life cannot be expected when the rules are upside-down. The re-imagining of community standards is destroying communities.
God in the beginning set the standard for lives of people. It is the standard of all standards and needs to be the default not the exception. When we adulterate His principles, we bring harm to the standards of faith, family, and community that results in pain, poverty, dysfunction, chaos, broken lives, and eventually Hell itself.
By the way, the church is not a building with a steeple, it is a faith community of Jesus followers. Too many people say they love Jesus but despise the church. How can you love the Groom but hate His bride? You may reply, “But there are some hypocrites in the church!” Yes, there are! But they are also at your work, the ball field, the golf course, and your favorite restaurant, yet they don’t seem to bother you there.
“He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8 NKJV).
If you want to bring stability to your community, go look in the mirror and start there. Then bring stability to your family and then invite a friend to join your journey with Jesus.
Yours on the Journey,
Harry L. Whitt
Pathway Journey 