by Jeremy Paschall
The teenage girl had not had her driver’s license very long when, on her way home from a friend’s house late one night, snow started pouring down. It was one of those blinding snow storms — the kind where the snow is coming down so hard that you cannot see ten feet in front of your windshield. It was not long before the roads and street signs were invisible through the snow.
The young lady panicked. She was lost in a snow storm. Her mind raced and then she remembered something her dad once told her — “If you ever get lost in a snow storm, wait for a snow plow to come by and follow it. Pretty soon you will come to some place you recognize and can find your way home.” She pulled over to the side of the road and sat anxiously waiting for a snow plow to pass.
It was only a few minutes before one came scraping past, so she pulled in behind it and started following. The teenager had followed the plow for about forty-five minutes when the driver stopped his truck. He walked back to her car, motioning for her to roll down her window. “Good, he can give me directions,” she thought.
“Miss,” he asked, “what are you doing following me all over the place?” She politely explained what her dad had told her about following a snow plow if she ever got lost in a snow storm.
The driver nodded and said, “Well, I’m finished with the Wal-Mart parking lot now, so you can follow me over to K-Mart if you want to.”
I don’t think that’s exactly what the teenage girl’s father had in mind when he told her to follow a snow plow. She did exactly as she was taught, but her efforts did not accomplish the desire result. Why? Because she followed the wrong snow plow! Instead of following one that would clear the public streets and roads, she followed one that was clearing parking lots.
The spiritual application of this story is obvious — Be careful who you follow! Many people will do just exactly what they read in a book or hear from a religious teacher or preacher. But unfortunately, not all of those sources are teaching the truth of God’s Word. Some might help you reach your desired goal — eternal life — but others certainly will not.
In spiritual matters, how do we know who or what to follow? It must all begin with Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He is the only source of authority in spiritual matters.
Jesus said: “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” (Matthew 28:18)
Of course Christ must be the focus, but what about men? Who can we turn to for sound teaching about Jesus Christ? Look only to one who can sincerely make the same statement as Paul:
“Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1)
But how can we determine who is teaching, by word and example, the truth about Christ? Examine the produce. If righteousness (according to the Word’s standard, not man’s standard) is produced, then the teaching is truth. If the fruit fails to meet the test of God’s Word, it is error.
Jesus warned: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits.” (Matthew 7:15-20)
Do not blindly accept anything that a book, teacher, or preacher says without checking it out in the Scriptures. Open your Bible. Study and examine it carefully. If the teaching meets the standard of God’s Word, accept it and apply it to your life. If it doesn’t reject it wholly. Be Careful Who You Follow!