In my search for wisdom, I came across a word in my readings that is frequently used in the sacred texts. The word is stumble and in a spiritual context means “to mentally fall for lies and non-truths.” In Greek, the word stumble is SKANDALON and it’s where we get the English word for SCANDAL. The definition of scandal is an action or event regarded as morally wrong and causing outrage. Fascinating! Armed with this revelation I had to ask myself the question, “Is my life marked by scandal”? Am I falling for lies instead of being guided by truth and therefore stumbling through life?” The honest answer to these questions is, yes!
Throughout my lifetime I have swallowed lies about myself, others, and God, and quite frankly, I am tired of it. I do not want to keep falling down figuratively and literally. I want God’s best and to be relieved and pardoned from the scandal to which I have been born and experience daily. What I want is what everyone wants! I don’t want to stumble anymore!
But how do you and I do that? How do we transform our minds to believe what is true rather than fall for what is not? Well, the short answer is we can’t; but ……. He can! Let me explain. The Bible teaches that believing and accepting truth is a spiritual action requiring a spiritual mind that is both free and in tune with God’s. Unfortunately, we are not born with that capacity and cannot acquire it through life experience. We must undergo a fundamental rebirth which can only occur when God restores who and what we are. In other words, we must be reborn and once again become like little children if we are ever to enter the kingdom of heaven and no longer stumble.
One might ask, “What does it mean to become like little children?” Well, consider this – what is a primary characteristic of a child? I think that we would all agree that children are “believing machines.” That is, they internalize what they have been taught and what they have experienced – good or bad. What differentiates our second childhood from our first is that we allow God to parent us in the ways of the world! We become His student and absorb His truth; we become aware of the Enemies’ schemes to entrap us in scandal; and we take action to navigate the pitfalls in front of us in a way that allows us to stand tall.
My personal experience has shown that God is ever so willing to parent us through His Spirit and His Word if we are only willing to humble ourselves before Him. Are you willing to become immersed in the ways of God? Do you seek wisdom to reshape your life and align it with His? Do you yearn for restoration and habitation in the Garden where truth, joy, and peace reign? Well, the good news is that God wants that for you too! So become like a child in God’s eyes today, and you will never stumble again!
Dario L. Perla