Lesson From a Pen

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV)

16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

What do you do when you have a pen that won't write? If you're like most of us, you sling it a few times in that stabbing motion; hoping gravity is going to somehow jar the ink loose (I wonder if that's ever really worked for anyone). Then you scribble. Then you scribble bigger and faster. Then frustration builds and you scribble harder. Then harder. You scribble until you tear a hole in the paper. Then you throw the pen. Then you look around to see if anyone saw you throw the pen. Then while you're feeling silly about throwing the pen, you pick it up and pretend it just slipped out of your hand (yeah, sure--it slipped out of your hand and spontaneously flew across the room). Then you shrug and smile and put the pen in your pocket.

Then later you get home to find the pen leaked and left a giant splotch of blue on the front of your favorite shirt. Why can't a pen simply consistently do its job without making a mess?

I wonder if God ever asks that question about me. I think I'm a bit of a pen hypocrite. I'll judge the pen for not consistently delivering and for making messes, but if I get honest, I'll admit there are entirely too many times when I'm not consistent in the things the Lord has shown me. And even though I'm not where I know I should be or I'm not doing the things He's already shown me to do, I'm fussing and scribbling because life isn't unfolding the way I planned. What a mess--a mess that I've made with my own hand. And the ink ends up everywhere except where it was intended, so to speak.

Life is much less messy when we stay consistent in the Bible and consistent in those things He calls us to do.

Here are three lessons to live by we can learn from the pen.  Number one: Obey God.

Number two is related: Stay consistent in doing the things he tells us to do in His word and allow him to give life meaning and make it fruitful.

And number three: A cheap pen is less than fifty cents. When it won't write, for heaven's sake, just toss the thing and get a new one.

Dear Lord, us first of all obey You and be consistent in doing what You tell us to do. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.