Author: Kevin Spear

I am a content creator and storyteller based in Florida, where I work for OneHope. I love digital and content marketing, writing, and the occasional doodle.

Categories
Christianity

Stand or Fall

There was a time when I would read the Old Testament and would smirk at how the Israelites would stumble and fall. Today, I realize no matter who we are, we all must take care to see whether we stand or fall. The Apostle Paul talks about this in 1 Corinthians 10.

“Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”

1 Corinthians 10:12 (KJV)

Paul warned us that we are no better than anyone else. If God was with the Israelites in the wilderness, if He gave them everything they needed to survive, and yet they still made mistakes of unfaithfulness and sin, what makes us think they would be any different.

Pride blinds us from seeing potential trouble. It makes us believe we can do no wrong. Then when our sins are exposed, it keeps us from admitting we messed up. It happened to King David, and the scriptures say he was a man after God’s own heart. What makes us think it couldn’t happen to us?

When I am at a factory, there are signs everywhere that remind me of hazards. There are potentials to slip, trip, and fall on every factory floor. The person who thinks it will never happen to them is the one most likely to end up in the emergency room.

We don’t avoid slipping hazards by thinking it will never happen to us. Every factory employee knows slips, trips, and falls can happen anywhere if they aren’t paying attention. Pride comes before a fall.

Cartoon of a boy who is about to fall into a manhole. Another boy says, "I'm sorry you were proud. Just stop!"
Yes, pride comes before a fall!

On this Sunday morning, I plan to take a time of self-examination. What am I not seeing that could be potential trouble? Am I looking down on someone that is no worse than me? Could it be that their fall is a warning to me?

We may think we are standing when in reality, we may be on the ground in the muck of the gutter. It’s very sobering to remind myself that there are slip and trip hazards all around us.

Categories
books

The Power of Books

“Books serve to show a man that those original thoughts of his aren’t very new at all.” Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln was born 213 years ago today. He was a man that knew the power of books. I like this quote from him.

“Books serve to show a man that those original thoughts of his aren’t very new at all.”
Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln Quotes. BrainyQuote.com, BrainyMedia Inc, 2022. https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/abraham_lincoln_100002, accessed February 12, 2022.

Lincoln was a man that valued books so much, he would walk for miles across the Indiana countryside to borrow and return them. Though his formal education was spotty, his love for reading gave him an education far beyond his backwoods upbringing.

light inside library
Photo by Janko Ferlic on Pexels.com

Information in the Echo Chamber

In today’s connected world, we have no problem finding information. Rather, our challenge is sifting the wheat from the chaff. Our temptation is to only find the information we agree with, instead of a bit of knowledge that challenges us.

In Lincoln’s time, books showed that original ideas weren’t all that original. In today’s world, we can find any information to justify our thoughts. It doesn’t have to be edited or traditionally published to go out to millions. Do we forget what incredible power exists on our phones and desktops?

We like the comfort of the echo chamber. Most of us cringe when we find information that doesn’t agree with our worldview. However, do we grow if we only read, hear or view what we agree with? Are we doing ourselves a disservice when we don’t challenge our thoughts?

The Value of Printed Books

Today, printed books are still important partly because it still takes effort to publish something on paper. It gives it a physical presence that electronic media doesn’t have. Sure, we can print a blog or social media post. But how many of us actually do that? (If you dare to challenge me and print out this blog post, I’m fine with that!)

There may be a day I take my blog posts and organize them into a book. When that happens, there will be a better chance a future generation will read what I wrote. But if it stays only on the Internet, would it still live on? If I pass on tomorrow and no one chooses to pay for this site, it could disappear like a vapor.

Books and Thoughts

Books are still valuable to educate, instruct and challenge us. Let’s get out of our echo chamber, crack open a good tome, and get acquainted again with the power of books.

Categories
education motivation

We Are Still Learning

"I am still learning." Michelangelo

Legend has it that Michelangelo’s last words were “Ancora Imparo,” or “I am still learning.” He uttered them at the age of eighty-seven. Here was a guy that considered himself a sculpture, but painted the Sistine Chapel. He had an amazing amount of talent. Yet he knew in order to stay vital we need to realize that we are still learning.

www.brainyquote.com/s/a_1f234

Whether we like it or not, at every stage of our lives, we are still learning. Our education may be passive or active. We may learn bad habits, what we can get away with and how people disappoint us. Or we may learn new possibilities, solutions to challenges, and a new skill we didn’t know we were capable of.

Active learning involves seeking knowledge. Passive learning is merely observing and reacting to life’s challenges. It is no different than a simple organism reacting to a stimuli. While it is good we learn not to touch a hot stove, if that is all we learn, it leaves a big gap in our education.

Passive learning can make us cynical, bitter, and fearful. When things just happen to us, without active learning, we can be convinced to give up. We just react. And we don’t take any steps to fix the problem or find a new, better way.

But when we take an active interest in our studies, it opens up many possibilities. Disappointments and disasters may come, but we know there is a solution if we keep looking. It reminds me of a proverb.

“Wise men lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.”

Proverbs 10:14 (KJV)

Active learning helps us find knowledge. And even better, it leads to positive change. We may think our education is over after we graduate from school. But in reality, we continually learn new things. The question is, do we let life and the school of hard knocks educate us, or do we take an active interest in our lifelong education? After all, we are still learning!

Categories
1 Corinthians Bible

Another Friend Passes

O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

1 Corinthians 15:55 (KJV)

This morning, I received the news another friend has passed away from COVID complications. Two years after we found out about this virus, it is still doing its dirty work.

It’s the second friend this year I know that has passed away from this scourge. Last year, my wife’s aunt passed away from this virus. But there are others who have suffered greater losses. It’s been a tough couple of years for nearly everyone.

I have comfort in knowing all three were people of faith. This passage in 1 Corinthians 15 gives me some solace that both dear souls are in a better place. It is those of us who are left behind that mourn and suffer.

Faith informs me this is not the end. One day, death will be swallowed up in victory. It gives us hope. Until then, let’s be steadfast and unmovable. To those with faith, we have a reason to press on.

Categories
Bible Psalm

A Future For Peacemakers

Look at those who are honest and good, for a wonderful future awaits those who love peace. Psalm 37:37

We hear and read news about the threat of wars and verbal barbs about someone who did this and said that. It captures our attention and makes us wonder what the future is. So it is good to remind us there is a future for peacemakers.

Look at those who are honest and good, for a wonderful future awaits those who love peace.

Psalm 37:37 NLT

Sadly, those who work for peace don’t grab the headlines as much as those who embrace conflict. We don’t tend to qualify what a person is saying or doing by whether it is honest or good. We like a good fight and we especially like the person who shares our views to put the other side in their place.

But what if the future belongs to those who promote peace? Indeed, there are only two choices in this world; those who work towards war and those who work towards peace.

We look forward to peace though it is in short supply. Remember a few months ago when we spoke about peace on earth?

Are All Conflicts Necessary?

We have values that we are willing to fight for, and we should. But what about those that don’t really matter? If we paused to think about why we may feel angry and ready to fight, is that skirmish with our neighbor really worth fighting for?

Are there some battles that are only jeopardizing our future? Most of us have memories of being angry at someone, but we can’t remember why. The emotion lasts longer than the actual offense.

If we are honest with others and show good to others, perhaps that will go much further than our animosity towards others. Occasionally, it may even make the news for a good, worthy reason.

Consider if that conflict is necessary today. Pause to consider if we are less angry at that person in front of us and angrier at a similar person that did us wrong years ago. Be honest. Be good and remember there is a future for those who love peace.