spiritual clarity = (quick to hear + slow to speak + slow to anger) doer
I’ve always liked numbers. Numbers make sense to me. They don’t lie. An equation always works out the same way. Sure, the variables may change the outcome, but the law of the equation, the logic, is always true. The rules never change.
I guess that’s why it makes sense that I am a software developer. I work with all kinds of data and program software to behave the way I want it to, the way the end users want it to behave. And so, I work with equations and logical conditions every day.
If (this condition) {
…then do this
} else {
…do something else
}This is basic code. The IF statement is one of the first things a programmer learns. Sure, programming gets much, much more complex, but when it’s all said and done, your chaining together a bunch of IF – THEN statements.
If you do one thing, then there is a result. A consequence. Else, there is another result. Another consequence. Kind of like life.
If you do an action, there is a result. The result is good or bad, depending upon the action, and the conditions that are met. The conditions are commonly based upon variables – those things that change, and also constants – those things that never change, that remain the same.
My gas tank in my car holds 19 gallons of fuel. That is a constant. But I drive variably. My speed changes. My rate of acceleration changes. I may have the air conditioning on in the summer. All of these variables affect my gas mileage, the distance I can drive on a full tank of gas.
I can hear you now… Alright Joe, where are you going with this?
As I was reflecting on the readings for today, the equation I led off with popped into my mind. Here it is again:
spiritual clarity = (quick to hear + slow to speak + slow to anger) doer
Let’s break it down… Being quick to hear, being slow to speak, and being slow to anger – these are our constants. Either we do them, or we don’t. If we do them, then something good will happen. If we don’t do them, then usually something not-so-good will happen.
The variable here is doing them. Being a doer. Taking our constants and multiplying them by how often we do them.
If we chain these actions together and increase our frequency of how many times we do them – an increased spiritual clarity results. If we do nothing – we experience nothing.
The numbers don’t lie.
In other words:
everyone should be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger…, and the one who is not a hearer who forgets but a doer who acts; such a one shall be blessed in what he does.
…and then He laid hands on the man’s eyes a second time and he saw clearly; his sight was restored and he could see everything distinctly.
This is our equation for success, for spiritual clarity, for eternal life. You can throw as many constants into the equation as you want, the constants of Christs true logic, and they will be multiplied by your acts, by doing them… And you will see more clearly, you will see eternity, just as Jesus helped the blind man to see.
But… If you do nothing, then you see nothing….
The numbers don’t lie.
