Consider the Lobster (Friday Devotional)

 

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

- Matthew 7:24-27

If you were to go to a fine dining establishment, there are any number of items you could order which would qualify as a status symbol, from Peking duck to a tomahawk steak. But few have the worldwide prestige of lobster, that staple of fancy restaurants from Maine to Venice. The moment you order lobster as your main course, you send an undeniable message that you’re a person of wealth and taste.

But until the 1800s, lobster was considered a low-class food eaten only by the poor and institutionalized. In fact, the New England colonies had laws on the books forbidding the feeding of lobster to inmates more than once a week, considering it cruel and unusual punishment. Because lobster was so plentiful in the region and so easy to preserve, its reputation was akin to today’s pinto beans—tasty, sure, but hardly impressive.

This change in fortunes for America’s favorite crustacean speaks to a truth to which both Scripture and history testify: the world is changing all the time, whether we notice it or not. What is fashionable today may be outdated tomorrow; what is unseemly today could be common practice in 5 years. Conventional wisdom, popular culture, and best practices are no more permanent than last year’s fashion tips.

That’s why it’s so crucial for believers in Christ to build their lives on his teachings instead of the world’s, on the Word of God instead of the philosophies of man. While today’s teachers can offer maxims for the moment, only the Lord offers the insights of eternity. It is the gospel of Jesus Christ that remains good news even when today’s headlines become yesterday’s news.

You never know what parts of today’s world will look unfathomable in just a few generations—so in the famous words of the late author David Foster Wallace, consider the lobster. And in doing so, build your life on the solid rock instead of on shifting sand.