A FIXATION WITH
FIRE ALARMS
Have you ever wanted to do something you knew you weren't supposed to do? Before answering that question, remember that God knows the motivations of your heart and He's seen every thing you've ever done, or thought of doing! Ok, now go ahead and answer, and just so you won't feel left out, let me make a confession of my own.
When I was a boy, I had a fixation with fire alarms. To this day, I get excited just thinking about those bright red boxes with the "Pull In Case of Fire" warnings on them. Every time I walked by one of those alarms, my heart would race, and my palms would get sweaty at the thought of pulling the handle. To make matters worse, the glass rod that keeps the handle in place would continually taunt me, "Come on, big shot, break me, I dare ya!"
And, since I'm on the topic anyway, (gee, confession really is good for the soul) I have to get a few similar fixations off my chest. I also had the same compulsion with the emergency buttons on elevators, and the "New Materials Only" labels on pillows and mattresses that specifically said in bold letters, "Do Not Remove Under Penalty Of Law."
Now, before your imagination runs away with you as you ponder whether I ever acted on any of these compulsions, let me clarify a few things for you. First, I have never pulled a fire alarm. Second, I refuse to comment on the new materials labels (you never know who might be reading this article, and I don't want a visit from the pillow police, or the mattress militia). Third, my memory is a little hazy on the particulars, but I do seem to recall an incident or two involving emergency buttons on elevators. Oh, but I'm sure I had a good reason! Perhaps my hand slipped, yeah, that's it! All right, I admit it, I pressed a few buttons, in the rebellious days of my youth. Nevertheless, before you cast the first stone, let me assure you, that you too have felt similar urges. In fact, I'm in excellent company because I know that if the Apostle Paul were alive today, he'd feel the same about fire alarms as I did.
How can I be so sure? Well listen to his own words: "I don't understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do the very thing I hate. I know perfectly well that what I am doing is wrong, and my bad conscience shows that I agree that the law is good. But I can't help myself, because it is sin inside me that makes me do these evil things. . . .When I want to do good, I don't. And when I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway" (Rom. 7:15-17, 19, NLT). Or, as Grant's paraphrase puts it, "I know it's not right to pull the fire alarm, but that only makes me want to pull it all the more."
Ok, so what's the point? The point is that only the Christian faith owns up to the fact that our own heart betrays us. Every other system of belief works from the premise that with a little learning and some hard work and perhaps a few dozen lifetimes, you can make it to God, or even become God. In contrast, Christianity starts with the premise that we need help if we want to have a relationship with God, and the only source of help is Jesus. Or, as Paul puts it in verse 24-25, "Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord."
So, the next time you think about pulling that fire alarm, pushing that emergency button, or ripping that tag off your new pillow, remember that you need help! The next time you eat an apple in the grocery store without paying for it, or take home a box of pencils from work, remember that you need help. We all need help, the help that only comes as a gift of God through Jesus. Accept that help by doing what the Bible tells you to do to become a follower of Jesus. And, if you do accept that help, your sins will be forgiven and you will also receive a new heart -- a new heart that will teach you to say no to all ungodliness (Titus 2:12). Now, that's the kind of help we all need!
