The Point of Reference
Part of the series First Things First
Written by Léo Gaumont, published on 2015-10-19.
A prophet may be proclaiming the will of God by telling the truth, but if we are comfortable with our ignorance of it, we will miss the opportunity to come to the knowledge of the truth and the freedom that comes with it.
We are generally all ignorant of what is actually happening around us. This ignorance can either be perpetuated and capitalized upon or fixed to empower the masses. It is time to enlighten home educators who have generally been kept in the dark respecting what is occurring within their community. (Ephesians 4: 11-16)
Bible Reference: Amos 3:3
Assumptions! It has always been my greatest source of frustration. I seem to have an incorrigible habit of violating the first Law of Assumption which is to never assume anything! Assuming that everybody wants to know the truth; that people are honest; that others desire to serve God with the passion I have, would wish me no harm and understand what I do, along with a host of other silly assumptions, end up creating a lot of uncomfortable situations for me.
However, I believe that I am not the only one who has the habit of thinking others believe the same things I do, understand the same things I do, and care as much as I do about things that should concern us all. In fact, it is likely a result of our fallen nature that leads us to believe we are the standard for the universe. That is why we need to stop assuming and to start over, using a reliable point of reference.
Before engaging in my goal to clearly enlighten the home education community regarding the things that both threaten and motivate us, it is imperative that we all start from the same page. I realize that I am not the center for comparison and that diversity of thought and action is what makes mankind interesting, intriguing and, at times, challenging to deal with. However, if we are to proceed together, we must agree upon some basic foundational principles, clearly articulated, rather than assuming they exist.
Therefore, to minimize misunderstandings, let me clearly disclose the "assumptions" I am making before proceeding with this agenda of enlightenment.
First, I am assuming that everybody reading this blog truly understands God's provision of His son as a propitiation for our sins and that there is no way to reach God but through Jesus Christ. I am also assuming that everybody who has accepted the gift of salvation, loves the Lord and desires to serve Him with all their heart, soul, mind and strength, regardless of the cost. What I am saying is that I assume that my audience is made up of sincere followers (disciples) of Jesus Christ and that they would be prepared to die before compromising their relationship with Him.
Secondly, I am assuming that the readers share my passion for seeking and knowing the truth. Not some version of the truth but the absolute truth as discovered through a working knowledge of the Bible as foundational to other works. I trust that others believe that right and wrong are established by God and not by general consensus, popular opinion or political correctness. I want to believe that we are all ready and willing to admit error and to sincerely want to replace wrong with right thinking. Not that I expect to clone myself, as that would be disastrous! I simply desire to see everybody yearn for the truth and the freedom that it provides.
The third assumption that I am making is that everyone desires to serve God first and not man, his institutions, or his directives. We have become so used to having media, government, schools and churches tell us what to do that we seem to have lost the ability to think for ourselves and to question the veracity of the statements and demands made under the banner of truth. We seem to have adopted the directive to not think, but to trust that those claiming "authority" have our best interest and well being in mind and, as a consequence, we are perilously close to becoming mindless automatons, unable to engage in any meaningful challenges to the status quo.
I am assuming that the readers of this blog are sincerely seeking the truth, will allow it to challenge their thinking, and are willing to admit error when confronted with it. I sincerely hope that there is an honest desire to purge the near ubiquitous secular ideologies in favor of biblical knowledge, in order to please God in whatever we say, do, or think.
I am coming from this world view perspective. I trust you agree and are willing to walk with me.