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V. FLIES IN THE OINTMENT OF LIFE
(July 25, 2004)

Have you ever gotten up and lived from morning until night when every single thing you did went just right? The cake rose, the lawnmower started and the baby napped? Have you ever gone 24 hours without burning the toast, bending a nail, or losing your car keys? Have you ever had a day hen there were no bills in the mail, no Phone calls during meals, and no one in front of you
driving ten miles an hour when you were thirty 30 minutes late?

In short, have you ever had a perfect year or month, or week, or day or hour? Of course not!

There's an old saying that describes our situation. There's "A fly in the ointment!" There's always a fly in our ointment.

Ointment stands for hat which is desirable, soothing and pleasant. As you admire and cherish the rich, golden liquid experience, suddenly there it is– an ugly, hairy, dead fly floating in around in your ointment! That's life!

The question is this: Do you throw out the whole mess in disgust, or do you pick out the fly and use the ointment? This represents our perennial moral dilemma.

If we wait until everything is perfect before we're happy; we'll never be happy! If we wait until everything is perfect before we're productive; we'll never be productive! If we wait until everything is perfect before we begin to really live; we'll never really live!

Many people say, "I'll be happy when I get to be a teenager." Then they become a teenager
and find that some problems are solved, but many others are created. So, they say,
"I'll be happy when I graduate." Then they graduate and find that some problems are solved, but many others are created.

This frustrating process continues throughout our lives. Will we ever learn that "when" and "if" do not provide a good basis for happiness? "When I get married"; "when I get divorced";
when I have children"; "when I get these children grown"; and on and on. "If I had a job"; "if I had a better job"; if I had a house"; "if I had my house paid for"; "if I had a car"; "if I had a newer car"; "if I had a pool"; "if I had a bigger pool"; "if I had a diamond"; "if I had a flashier diamond"; and on and on.

Happiness seems to dance ahead of us, tantalizing us but forever just out of reach. In short, there is always "a fly in our ointment!" Nothing is ever perfect. You fix one thing and two things break. You pay one bill and two more bills arrive. You get one kid well and two more kids get sick. There's always a small cloud, a little dark spot, a nagging aggravation to dilute your joy, to diminish your satisfaction, and to mar your happiness.

It's the little things that rob us of joy. One speaker has a popular presentation entitled, "Elephants don't bite." In his speech, he explains that we can withstand major adversities; but it's the pesky little things that destroy us! Elephants may not bite, but mosquitoes can nibble us to death. A little verse says:
Life's recurrent mournful cry– Too little ointment! Too much fly!

What does the Bible say about this? Paul assures us that "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace . . ." (Gal. 5:22-23).

The Psalmist puts it this way: "Happy is that people, whose God is the Lord" (Ps. 144:15).

In analyzing happiness, let's consider: What kinds of flies are in our ointment? In general we can put life's problems into five categories: Those that can't be fixed; Those that time can fix; Those that others can fix; Those that only you can fix; and Those that you and God together can fix.

I. FIRST, THERE ARE PROBLEMS THAT CAN'T BE FIXED.

This is hard to believe! As Americans, we are a "can do" people! But, nevertheless, some things can't be fixed! If you lose a leg, it won't grow back. If your unmarried daughter has a baby; that event can't be undone! If your loved ones die; you can't bring them back! These problems have to be accepted; and we have to make the best of it!

Some of the world's greatest people have lived with their problem: Sir Walter Scott was lame. He was never healed, but he reached literary brilliance by accepting his condition.

John Milton experienced no miraculous recovery of sight, but he wrote Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained in spite of that blindness.

John Bunyan was not delivered from prison, but during his time in jail he wrote Pilgrim's Progress.

Someone said, "What can't be cured must be endured!" That's true. "What can't be fixed must be accepted." Paul had to do that. He says, "There was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.
But he said to me, ‘y grace is sufficient for you'. . ." (II Cor. 12:7-9).

II. SECOND, THERE ARE PROBLEMS THAT TIME WILL FIX.

We're an impatient people. We are an "instant oriented" culture. Mysteries are neatly resolved in thirty minute TV episodes; but life can't be speeded up with a fast forward button. It still takes eighteen years for a child to grow up. It still take several years to obtain a college degree. Winter must be endured before spring can be enjoyed. Nature can't be rushed.

A poor old lady was smiling as she sold flowers on the street corner. A philosopher approached and said, "Why are you so happy? Don't you have any troubles?" "Oh, sure," she replied. "I have plenty of troubles; only it's like Good Friday!" "What do you mean?" the man inquired. "Well, when Jesus was crucified that was the worst day in history. So when I have a bad time, I remember what happened three days later! All my life when everything seems to go wrong, I've learned to wait three days and it always gets better!"

Yes, time can be our ally. It heals and teaches and provides solutions to many dilemmas. James said, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything" (James 1:2-4).

III. THIRD, THERE ARE SOME PROBLEMS THAT OTHERS CAN FIX.

You aren't omniscient and indispensable. You aren't the dictator of the universe. Learn to cooperate with others and delegate responsibilities when necessary. Each member of a basketball squad depends upon his teammates.

Life is like that. Let friends, therapists, specialists and associates help you. It's no disgrace to lean on others when necessary. All of us need help now and then.

A World War II pilot says that during a raid over Germany, his bomber took several direct hits from Nazi anti-aircraft guns. Miraculously, the crippled aircraft made it back to England.
After landing, eleven shells were carefully removed from the bomber's fuel tanks. When they were dismantled and examined, all eleven were found to be empty. Now, why would the enemy fire empty shells?

The mystery was solved when a handwritten note was found inside one of the shells. Translated, it read, "This is all I can do for you now." An unknown Czechoslovakian slave laborer in a Nazi munitions plant had risked his life by deliberately omitting the explosives, hoping somebody might benefit.

There are times when we must depend upon others. Paul said, "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ" (Gal. 6:2).

IV. FOURTH, THERE ARE SOME PROBLEMS THAT ONLY YOU CAN FIX.

When you recognize these personal responsibilities, get busy! Quit procrastinating. Only you can acquire an education, or develop a relationship, or parent your child. No one can do some things for you. You must do them for yourself.

Certain entrances are constructed so that when a person approaches the mechanism is activated and the gate opens. When this technology first came on line, one man found himself before one of these gates and refused to move. He kept yelling to the man in charge, "Open this gate!" Explanations were useless and the stand-off continued. Finally, the ticket-taker, in exasperation, made the crucial point. "I can't open it for you, sir. You must do that for yourself!"

That's a very significant statement! There are some problems that only you can fix. Paul said, "Each of us will give an account of himself to God" (Rom. 14:12).

V. FINALLY, THERE ARE SOME PROBLEMS THAT YOU AND GOD CAN FIX.

Believe in spiritual possibilities. Through prayer, God can make you aware. He can show you other options. He can help you channel your energies. He can increase your purpose and strengthen your determination. God can guide and advise and support, but even more important; he can enable you to endure in the meantime.

Too many people think: "Okay, I lost my job. So! God will give me a better job next month. Everything is going to be great! My checkbook will always balance . . . my car won't ever break down."

Such beliefs reduce God to a Santa Claus, a Tooth Fairy or an Aladdin's Lamp. God isn't like that. He works with us, not for us.

An old story makes this point: It seems a man saved up enough money to buy a few acres of land, with a small weather-beaten house. There were tree stumps, rusted pieces of machinery and all sorts of debris strewn around. The whole scene was a mess; but the owner rolled up his sleeves and went to work. He hauled off the junk, repaired the fences, pulled up the stumps and replanted trees. Then he refurbished the house into a quaint cottage with a new roof, a fresh paint job and a little flower garden.

It took years to accomplish all this, but finally, when the last task was completed, a passerby said, "Well, fellow, looks like you and the Lord have done a fine job on your place here."

Wiping the sweat from his face, the old man replied, "Yeah, I suppose so; but you ought'a seen this place when the Lord had it all to Himself!"

He was right. God doesn't do it by himself. There are some problems that only you and God can fix by working together. Paul said, "We are God's fellow workers . . ." (I Cor. 3:9a).

It's a spiritual partnership. God amplifies our own resources, but He doesn't do it for us!
Elisha used a bottle of oil. Gideon used trumpets and torches. David used a smooth stone from the brook. Jesus used five loaves and three fish.

In each case God helped the people amplify their own resources to solve their problems.

Do you have problems? Are there "flies in your ointment?" Are you searching for happiness? Remember the Psalmists advice: "Happy is that people, whose God is the Lord" (Ps. 144:15).

So, what can you do with your problems?
You can accept the problems that can't be fixed;
You can be patient with the problems that time can fix;
You can accept help with the problems that others can fix;
You can get busy solving those problems that only you can fix;
You can commit yourself to a spiritual partnership to attack those problems that you and God together can fix.

You won't find perfection. And, there will always be "flies in your ointment'; but you will have peace and joy. You will know happiness.

*****
(Word Count 1951)

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These messages are from an unpublished manuscript © copyrighted 2004 by Miles and Maralene Wesner, Idabel, OK. Please use them in any way you think appropriate. The only thing we ask is that you give credit for original material in published works.

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OUR RATIONALE:

After many years of pastoring small churches and teaching (especially college students, who represent the next generation), we have chosen to emphasize certain very relevant, neglected aspects of the Gospel—namely: personal discipline (maturity and responsibility); family relationships (marriage and child rearing); general life skills and common sense.

Our social problems today prove that these characteristics are so important. Young people need them and are asking for them.

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We also have much of this information in books—provided to you at cost while the supply lasts.

We can not improve on the messages from the great Evangelistic Preachers. Material in our Essays and Sermons usually present the Gospel from a psychological point of view.

My ministry has been blessed immeasurably by reading other people's sermons. When I started preaching 57 years ago, I waited for "inspiration" (usually Saturday night, about midnight) before I began my sermon preparation. Then, I discovered it wasn't inspiration at all—it was sheer PANIC. I would have welcomed this service.

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Miles E Wesner