We have taken on the ways of our parents, siblings and peers without any conscious effort. One such way of thinking involves the process we go through naturally when we are presented with new information; I have called this the Two-handed System of Philosophy.
Imagine a person hearing some new revelation or teaching that is contrary to their previous experience, perhaps that God heals, or that God wants them to be blessed.
The Two-handed System of Philosophy then comes into effect and goes something like this:
In one hand they hold all the information they have ever received in their life. Then one day someone places some new information into the other hand.
They compare the two and discover that this new information does not match up with their previous experience or knowledge. This usually creates a conflict between what is new and what has been experienced. As most people are more comfortable with the known, what they have already seen, they reject the new information.
The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 4:18, "While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal."
A Slave To The Past
Now they have placed themselves in bondage to their past. They are going against their own best interests by not allowing any change to take place in their lives.
Paul puts it this way in 2 Timothy 2:
And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.They are opposing themselves by keeping themselves slaves to sin.
(vv. 24-26)
Instead they should pray and ask the Lord to reveal the truth to them.
Look at Philippians 3:15: "Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you."
When we do not know the right way, the Holy Spirit will reveal it to us.
In our weak state, we should ask Him to help us receive the new and accept the change.
Romans 8:26 says, "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered."
Galatians 5:1 states, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."
Don't reject this information; if you have to turn your life on its head to follow Jesus, you should be ready for that.
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In 1982 Stephen Wood was a heathen, in a rocky marriage to Janet who was agoraphobic at the time. Janet had given her heart to Jesus as a child but was never taught to read the Word to promote growth. Janet did know enough to cry out to God for their marriage.
