September Reflection By Ron Klein

How much do you allow numbers to influence how you feel about life and the choices that you make in life?   We all have to deal with numbers such as bank account statements and performance evaluations.  The numbers can depress us or elate us.  Numbers can be used for purposes of measurement, comparison, and creating order, however, they cannot give life ultimate meaning.  Numbers can seem so important at the time, but can so quickly become irrelevant.  I’ve destroyed my deceased parent’s old tax returns and the score books of my children’s little league baseball games, both of which caused stress for them at the time.

There is that which is beyond the numbers.  How do you quantify the value of a human life, of love, and what number helps us to understand eternity?  What kind of numbers do you use to measure, compare and order God?  What is God’s size, age, and who can rate His performance?  When do you make your decisions based strictly on the numbers and when is there a Grand Reality that makes the numbers far less important?

Numbers are a gift from God from which we benefit, but God challenged our over-reliance on or worship of accountants and scoreboards.  He asked Abram to count the stars, if Abram could, to help him understand the blessings in his future when in a faith-filled relationship with God.  (Gen.15:5)  He told Gideon that he had way too many soldiers to fight the large enemy with.  They needed to be reduced to the point that everyone will know that the victory is from the Lord.  (Judges 7:2-8)  Goliath had much better numbers than David had  (I Sam. 17).   Try applying a number on a scale to Jesus’ resurrection.

God does not identify himself with a really big number, like a trillion.  We read, “The Lord is one.” (Deut. 6:4)  He is unity, completeness, integrity, and this One is more than enough.   Then we read: “Love the Lord your God with your all (100%)“.  Too many competing influences on our lives leave them complicated and exhausted.  A life of simplicity, peace, and confidence comes from loving the One with your all.