True Colors
Originally scheduled for February 3
Most women who have ordered anything from a
catalog, either print or online, have had the problem: “Is that
really my eggplant?” Well, it may not be eggplant — but it is some
sort of color. Experience has shown that the catalog doesn’t
necessarily get the color quite right. There is often a subtle, but
very definite, difference between the color that is shown in the
catalog and the color of the actual item.
Thus, when the item arrives the first thing a
woman does is to look at it to see if it’s the right color. Even
then however there is a difficulty. Colors look different under
different types of light. If this is an item that a woman is going
to wear to an office that is always lit by fluorescent bulbs, then
she needs to examine the item under a fluorescent light. But in most
circumstances that’s the wrong answer. Most women will immediately
take the item to the location where they can see it in natural
light. The human eye is designed to see things in natural light;
therefore, that’s where you examine the colors. You need to look at
the color in the right light.
The process of examining practically anything
works pretty much the same way. First, you must have a standard in
mind — you need to know “what it’s supposed to look like.” If you
have no idea what a ruler is, it’s really tough to measure the
length of something. So the first thing you need is a standard.
You then need some process of judging whether
or not your item meets that standard. The most important thing here
is that you should never fudge it. As one wise person put it, “good
enough, isn’t.” You need to know whether or not your item meets your
standard, and you need to be honest about it.
Then, there is the matter of light. Most things
we examine are examined in the light. If you are inspecting
diamonds, the lighting is important. You don’t want the light you’re
using to give you the wrong picture.
When you come to communion, the thing under
examination is you. This is the time you conduct self examination,
in accordance with the Scripture.
·
You will need a standard; for the
Christian the standard has always been the imitation of Christ, the
sinless man. Do you measure up to his standards?
·
You will need the right light — and
He is the light of the world.
·
The question is one of process — will
you be honest with yourself? Or is the temptation there to fudge it?
“Let a man examine himself,” says the
Scripture. Examine yourself; repent where you need to repent and
then partake. His body, his blood are there for you and your
salvation.
