Truth Hiders and Hoarders
by N. Clement Weathers
May 08, 1997
An old friend who I bumped into at the P.O. was lamenting the loss of another friend to lung cancer. "N.," he said, "that wouldn't have happened if he hadn't smoked cigarettes." "How old was he?," I asked. "He was in his early seventies, N.," was his reply. "Well," said I, "Now days that's not considered very old but my memory has it that seventy years is about all the Good Lord intends for most of us to live." "But N., if he hadn't smoked all those cigarettes," he said, "he would still be living a good healthy life. Tobacco and alcohol are mankind's two biggest problems." To that I replied, "Friend, you have grossly overestimated the inherent evil in these two substances. There is no intrinsic evil in either. And again my memory has it (but please check it out) that God says we lack the understanding that what goes in the mouth goes into the belly and is cast out into the draught and that the things which defile a man come out of the mouth from the heart.
This conversation served as a challenge to my unorthodox curiosity, which said, "N., what do you reckon mankind's two biggest problems to be?" Hmmmmm. I reckon the biggest problem is mankind's inability or lack of desire to recognize power or authority greater than himself. Mankind loves himself more than he loves God. Second is mankind's inability or lack of desire to allow and/or overlook the shortcomings of others. Mankind loves himself more than he loves his neighbor.
If and when God's Word has as much impact on mankind as, for example, the Surgeon General's and the FDA's words have on Americans, then mankind's problems will vanish.
Have a good week!