Backwoods Wisdom
The backwoods philosopher loved to sit in his old rocking chair and tell the younguns, ”You kain’t teach what you ain’t never lern’t anymore than you can come back from where you ain’t never been.”
Although his grammar may leave something to be desired his WISDOM and understanding shines through. It is true that you cannot teach someone something that you do not know. As brethren and sisters of the Lord Jesus Christ, we have an obligation to share the good news of the coming kingdom with those we know and meet, but we cannot teach what we have not ourselves learned. For this reason it is necessary for each of us to not only know the truth but also know how to give an ”answer to every man that asketh us a reason of the hope that is in us with meekness and reverence.”
Who else does God have on this earth to tell the perishing world the trut4 as it is in Jesus? If we do not do it who will? Now it should be our pleasure as well as our duty to tell this good news to all we know.
Does everyone who knows you know of your love for God? Is your love of God and love of the truth so strong, so much a part of your life that it is shining through to all you meet? You may be the only Bible some of your friends have ever read. Paul told the Corinthian brethren that they were his ”epistle written in his heart, known and read of all men.” What is the gospel according to you?
In the business world, a person with a fantastic product takes pleasure in telling all who know him of its attributes. A real sports fan loves to tell the details of their perfect game in bowling, or their hole in one, or the big fish that got away or the smaller one that didn’t.
Is our love for Jesus less than the world’s love for the things of this life? We have had a number of successful Christadelphian businessmen confess that they feel much more comfortable talking about their business than they do the truth. If this is true, we need to work at changing things. We all admit that the truth is the most important thing in our life but we may not live or talk like this was the case. Remembering that ”you kain’t teach what you ain’t never lernt,” we need to learn how to ask leading questions that will bring the conversation we have with those of the world around to the things of the truth. We must not say ”we can’t.” Of course we can, but only if we believe and know the truth and love it enough to want to share it with others.
In our experience, questions are better door openers than statements. When someone mentions inflation ask the question, ”Have you ever heard the Bible’s description of inflation?” You will usually get a ”no” and then you can tell them how Haggai explains it as ”earning wages to put into a bag with holes.” When someone mentions world conditions, ask them if they are excited about the fact that it is two down and one to go concerning the three nations mentioned in Ezekiel 38:5. These have been on the side of the western nations and now are securely in, or are going into the Soviet block. When they express their amazement, gently tell them about Persia (Iran) Ethiopia and Libya. When someone tells you of a friend with cancer or heart trouble, ask if they are looking forward to the time soon to come when ”there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain.” They may not understand when that will be and you will have an opportunity to share the good news with them.
The more you practice, the more proficient you become. Talking to your friends and even strangers becomes an exciting experience as you look for openings in the conversation to bring out a question that will help you share the good news you know with those who don’t. If you don’t know how, learn how, because you ”kaint teach what you ain’t lernt anymore than you can come back from where you ain’t never been.”
