Tim Wildmon

AFA president

February 1994 – Did you see recent news accounts about the herd of wild elephants running free in India? It sounds crazy but it’s true. The 50-member herd of pachyderms trampled people and property for 180 miles. The newspapers in India gave their readers tips on confronting these elephants if they came their way. Tip number one: “Never stand in an elephant’s path.” (I’m telling the truth.) Tip number two: “Whatever you do, don’t try to make eye contact.”

O.K.

But really, I doubt if the person who would play chicken with an elephant or attempt staring one down would be the kind of individual who would read a newspaper. What do you think?

I can just see a couple in Calcutta sitting around the breakfast table sipping coffee (or whatever they sip in India) reading the paper when Edrula, seeing the tips, says to Thelmula, “Says here, don’t stand in the elephants’ path, Thelmula. Guess that shoots down Fredcutta’s big idea. I’m glad we’re in the know.”

I guess there are no givens any more. If there ever were any. I still see Americans throw hurricane parties which is about as dumb as trying to stare down an oncoming elephant.

You know, in the Bible there are some not-so-dumb tips for a fulfilling life. They’re not tips, really—they are commandments for righteous living, commandments which, if followed, will put us in the center of God’s will for our lives.

Two of these are found in Matthew 22: 34-40 where the Bible reads, “Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: ‘Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?’

“Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

You know, most of the time we dig our own holes, don’t we? Sure, things out of our control happen and adversely affect our lives. But we suffer often in this life because we refuse to heed God’s commandments and abide by His principles.

On the one hand, to walk outside of God’s will is asking for trouble. In a very real and spiritual sense, we’re inviting the same kind of trouble one gets when standing in the path of a wild elephant.

On the other hand, to follow Jesus Christ, abide by His principles and live in the center of His will is to live a life of peace, joy and contentment.