One of the things that
interrupts the smooth flow of the Israelites taking over everything is their
inability to conquer all the tribes in the area
and the idea that this was for their own good as it trained those who had never
experienced war in its dangers and tactics. For our present generation there
are things like the obsession with germs and the belief that children should
not be exposed to them, which leads to lower resistance to disease. I think it
was in the war of the worlds that the aliens were killed by a common cold
virus. Are we in danger of getting to that stage? In the corporate world it is
easy for the staff to become complacent in the belief that the company will continue
in its current state for ever, ignoring the virile competition of new arrivals
in the industry. In these circumstances, as with sports teams, a good helping
of competition works wonders.
On a relationship level, complacency, taking a partner or
friend for granted, is a death sentence and we need to be remember what it was like
before the relationship was established and keep it fresh; recalling why we
started the relationship and our joy at that time needs to be relived from time
to time. Instead we tend to view the relationship in its current state,
forgetting it got that way through our forgetting.
When we remember on a personal level, it is so easy to forget
our successes and see only where we failed. It’s easy to concentrate on the failures and
regrets and forget what we achieved. Many of the regrets people worry about are
small and insignificant but they will dismiss successes and times of elation of
a similar level as of no account. The
cake that tuned out a success is just as important as the flop but what do we
remember? The bus we missed is an event but how often did we catch it? The name
we can’t remember is a tragedy but what about the smell of the roses.
It’s in ways like this that the Bible can teach us how to
live.
