THEN WHY ARE YOU STILL LISTENING?

A young man became lost driving back roads in Alabama.  He saw an elderly man walking on the side of the road and asked directions to his destination.  The elderly man said, “Sure.  Give me a ride and I’ll lead you right on in.”

After 45 minutes of twists and turns off and onto county roads and dirt roads, they arrived at a house in the town of Slapout, Alabama. 

As the elderly man exited the young man’s car, the young man confusedly said, “But sir, this isn’t where I was trying to go.”

“I know, son,” the elderly man replied as he closed the gate behind him, “but this is where I was trying to go.”

                   

Where are the people you’re following, leading you?

It kills me how so many people still tune in for relationship and parenting advice from single celebrities with jacked up children.

I'm not talking about folks who HAD broken relationships and have healed their families.  Those folks are credible.

I'm talking about the people you listen to who's CURRENT significant other is nonexistent or a fool and whose children are CURRENTLY more screwed up than you are.

These celebrity advice-givers are clearly gifted in communication and empathy; but if their personal lives are still sick, how can they treat yours without infecting you with their issues and causing you more harm than good?

Jesus put it like this: How can you say to your brother, “Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye?”

“Hypocrite!, “ said Jesus, “First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7: 4, 5)

And, stop confusing the magnitude of someone’s financial success and media notoriety with the health of their personal lives.   That’s two totally different things.

You’re not listening to them to learn how to be rich and televised; you’re watching them to hear how to be good husbands, wives, and parents.

But the people you’re listening to  are terrible spouses and parents.  Heck, some of them are NOT spouses OR parents.

But they “understand”……..?

Do you understand what they understand?

Look past the money and  their own press releases.  How have they structured their own relationships? That’s their idea of success. 

Do you want to learn how to never have kids and build a house for an unemployed man who ain’t neeeever gonna marry you to live in in your backyard?

I only ask, because that’s how some people define a successful long-term relationship.

(Yes.  There is where I went.)

Do you want to learn how to be a good, strong Christian woman from someone who’s idea of spiritual success involves ordination in the priesthood of Yoruba idols?

I only ask because that is how some people define spiritual maturity.

(Yep.  I said that, too.)

If that’s what you want, then cool.  Keep listening.  Take notes.  Download the audiobook.

But if you define relational and spiritual success differently; then perhaps you should look for a guide whose definition of success in those areas matches yours.

Otherwise you might achieve a goal you don’t want to achieve.

“Let them alone,” said Jesus, “They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch. (Matthew 15:14)

---Anderson T. Graves II   is a writer, community organizer and consultant for education, ministry, and rural leadership development.

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is pastor of Hall Memorial CME Church in Montgomery, Alabama, executive director of the Substance Abuse Youth Networking Organization (SAYNO) and director of rural leadership development for the National Institute for Human Development (NIHD).

Email atgravestwo2@aol.com

Friend me at www.facebook.com/rev.a.t.graves

To listen to sermons and learn more about the ministry at Hall Memorial CME Church, visit www.hallmemorialcme.blogspot.com .

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Support by check or money order may be mailed to

Hall Memorial CME Church

541 Seibles Road

Montgomery, AL 36116