Much has been said about necessity being the mother of invention, but little has been said about her children, or their cousins. Remember how we all used to drive old vans to carry our dirt bikes? For some reason those old Dodge vans were very popular with friends I had who rode in the dirt. A wonderful design, they had just enough clearance to get your hand stuck between the razor sharp roof crossbar and the handlebars. Maiming, but never severing. Which after repeated mutilations, led to the discovery of old pickups, less secure, but safer to your braking and clutching appendages.
But also inherent to them, was the old three on the tree shifting pattern-something that hasn't been seen for over 30 years. But the Dodges were also known for bad shift linkage, and more than one was known as three on the tree and one in the grill. And one particular guy, nameless, was known for always cutting his hand when placing it between the sharp grill pieces, where you accessed the linkage to get it out of reverse. So dropping it off at the one mechanic who would repair things and wait for his money until we got our next job-we were never unemployed back then, just between jobs to feed our motorcycle addiction, this grumbler of a man would take in this van, more because he needed to fatten his accounts receivable than to show an income that day. That and he rode too, and the threat of leaving him to die if he broke, alone out in the woods kept him on a first name basis with us, if you consider @#$%^** a first name. We all used to have a first name similar to this when riding . I believe you could call this guy the father of necessity. Just so we don't have to call him dad. At least not out of necessity.
Going by one night after work to retrieve the van, and promising to pay when we could, we got in, my friend shifted into reverse, backed up, and the truck wouldn't shift. So he got out, and stuck his hand in the grill, moved the linkage and we drove home. The next day, we went by and told grumbler about the linkage. "I never touched it, thought you were complaining about cutting your hand on the grill. So if you noticed I put duct tape over it. Won't cut your hand again." And walked off. No more torn up hands, no more bleeding, no more gauze and white tape. Only duct tape. But the linkage was still broken. And somehow, fixing a symptom, not the problem, and setting the standard for many technicians of today. Loud noise, turn up the radio. Vibration at 55, only go 50. Won't start in P, start it in N. Nobody has the time to diagnose anymore, but they always have time for you to come back. And at prices you can afford.
I have listened to people with real problems get bad advice like this with spiritual problems. And although backed by scripture, when on their own, the problem only gets worse. Godly advice only works when taken, and when given by God. And in the spirit. I have listened as men are more concerned about the homeless guy and his wanting to quit smoking than giving him a place to live. Or feeding him. Get him to church, and let the pastor tell him about the gospel, we've done our part. Never realizing they are like the duct tape on the grill, a solution to a symptom, but not the problem. Perhaps that is why in Matthew 25 Jesus rebukes the "church" for not feeding the hungry, giving water to the thirsty, clothing the naked, and visiting those sick or in jail. And then He adds these words-"be gone from me you evil ones, you never knew me."
For they would have seen these problems and dealt with them in love if they were His, and walking in the spirit. They would have fed the hungry man, rather than just inviting him to church. There is no duct tape solutions in the gospel-only Jesus. And He knows the cause, so He can offer the solution. Then it our decision what to do with it.
The generation of old vans with three on the tree is almost gone, but duct tape solutions to spiritual matters still exists. God calls it leaning on your own understanding, just the opposite of trusting Him. Perhaps today is the day you get rid of the duct tape, and take real life repairs seriously. You don't figure it out, but let God. And then listen, and be amazed at how when we walk in the spirit, we begin to live-in the spirit. Like the old song says, "trust and obey, for there's no other way...in Jesus!"
The answer is evident, Jesus is not hiding. But it is amazing to me how we don't reach out to Him. Sadly some are like these old vans, and their owners. Still wedging their hands between the roof crossbar and the handlebars, while their hands are safe and secure while reaching in the grill. Never realizing that the same duct tape that worked on the grill would work on the crossbars too!
Because Jesus is the rock, and duct tape is only a roll!
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogpsot.com