New—But Not Always Improved! … Good morning Hump Day readers. Have you ever decided to upgrade to something, for instance, your phone, only to find out that what the manufacturer calls “improved” really isn’t so? I think we all have experiences like this. Commercials are crafty and smart and they can easily tickle our fancy, as they say. So, we run out to get the next best thing that we think will be much better than what we already have. I truly think the odds are against us no matter what those commercial hacks tell us are what we must have!

And that takes me to one of the most irritating things that happens to us all, “false claims.” In our technical-wizard-world we are so inundated with false claims, promises, etc., that we no longer realize them. We jump right in, never testing it out first and there goes the dollars.

Pastor Greg Laurie likened that to when he was a new Christian, saying: “I wanted a shortcut to spiritual maturity.” I don’t find that unusual. How many of us like a “fast-track” instead of a deep-dive? We are so easily dazzled with new things we jump right in. The problem is, what have we really learned? Has this ‘new thing’ made a difference in our lives, and most importantly, our spiritual lives?

The Apostle John wrote (1 John 4:1-Message): “My dear friends, don’t believe everything you hear. Carefully weigh and examine what people tell you. Not everyone who talks about God comes from God. There are a lot of lying preachers loose in the world.”

Even the Apostle Paul encountered falsehoods while in Athens. They wanted to hear his ‘new’ teaching but they also enjoyed discussing latest ideas rather than rock-solid Biblical teachings. Something new in their day was exciting and they hopped on the train way too soon, not realizing that what they were seeking was false instead of Paul’s wise wisdom from God.

Do you want to be “improved?” There is only one way and it really isn’t anything new at all. In fact, it’s well over thousands of years, when God decided to create the earth and all things in it, including us humans. Maturity didn’t come easily, though. The Israelites found ways to wander off and follow golden idols, ill-begotten finances, and all kinds of “new and not improved” situations resulting in a separation from God and very troubled and dangerous living conditions.

How is your spiritual maturity? Are you still waiting for the next experience, the next book or Ted Talk, the next charismatic preacher or politician to make things better for you? Be very careful what train you jump on because there are falsehoods everywhere that seem good and are anything but. Many lives are ruined in seeking something new and improved.

Spiritual maturity is a daily exercise. It takes prayer, reading your Bible, listening, and knowing that nothing is better than God and we’re best off to trust in God-first! I love the words from my pastor many years ago back in Wisconsin. He even incorporated this in marriage ceremonies, “If you can’t find it in the bible then you don’t need it, period.”

We would be wise to quit running after anything new and improved. Instead, let’s run to the One who created us because he loved us. Let’s embrace good judgment from the wisdom of God. And, let’s remind ourselves of how we are easily swayed which can make us extremely vulnerable to the lies Satan whispers in our ears. Memorize and live by John’s wise words: “carefully weigh and examine what people tell you.”

When you are tempted to the next-best-thing, stop a moment and compare it to what God’s Word wants you to do. Imprint my pastor’s words on your heart and mind, “if you can’t find it in the bible then you don’t need it, period.” Embrace God’s Word as the arbiter of truth because God IS truth and never needs to be improved! AMEN.