173 Rock Solid Thinking

Meaning: “conveying a significance that is not directly expressed . . .”

I heartily embrace the kind of thinking demonstrated in the hymn “Solid Rock.” Primarily, Thoughtful Reader, because my standards derive from my firm commitment to Significant Truth #1: God. Only makes sense, I’m sure.

The well-exercised faculties of mine I mention in blog before last come from parental and familial influence and training in rigorous curriculum such as theology, math, engineering and computers, combined with life application in private enterprise and public service.

Other influences such as recognition that an idle mind is the devil’s workshop (This is not a Scriptural quote, though Thessalonians addresses idleness. It’s source—after replacing mind with brain— is the “Hand-book of Proverbs” by H.G. Bohn) and that an idle mind hand-in-hand with unruliness—what I call arbitrary thinking— is a slippery slope, have channeled my aspirations toward rock solid thinking and have governed standard formation in my life, together making me what I am and my standards what they are.

I have alluded to these standards in various ways in past blogs and pronounced, then as now, that they all derive from my Christ-centered life and Judeo-Christian heritage. Specifically and most importantly, they derive from the standards of Christ as the New Covenant and Fulfillment of the Law and from the New Testament of Holy Scripture. The denominational influences of Martin Luther and John Calvin, including his resulting Protestant Work Ethic (http://www.coe.uga.edu/~rhill/workethic/hist.htm ), also figure to an extent in my thinking systems as they do in the minds of most modern westerners whether they know it or not.

This Christian concept of work promotes an earnest approach to all work, but (and here is the great qualifier, as I call it) also requires that all work be dedicated to conforming the world to the parameters of the Kingdom of God. As this concept has grown secularized in today’s world, many now promote work as a bottom-line, self-serving materialism devoid of any respect to God or service to one’s fellow man. I do not. I base all my values on Christ the Solid Rock.

I recommend reading the link above on work because it profiles work from the time of the Garden of Eden until current times. Most interesting!

With all this in mind, my next blog will begin a sampling of these standards of mine. All solid rock here!

My choice.

Matthew 7:24-27 NKJV

Christ speaking—“Therefore whoever hears these saying of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

To be continued . . .