If I Had Only Known

Recently I have been spending a lot more time concentrating on safety at my job. It’s not like I don’t normally concentrate on safety…it’s just that I am focusing more on the ‘whys’ and ‘hows’ and communicating that to others. After all, safety at work, like safety at home all comes down to a behavior-based outlook. If you are distracted, tired, sick, upset, or otherwise unhappy you are less likely to take the necessary precautions to keep yourself safe. I like to note how our attitudes can affect our actions, and reactions; and how a little common sense makes a whole lot of difference. Take for instance a situation in which a man lost his life. I will use an example I heard of several years ago, that happened in the Gulf of Mexico; and for the sake of this discussion I will keep the facts very generic.

This man went up in the derrick some ninety feet and failed to secure his fall-protection. A task that would have normally taken just a few moments and was considered fairly easy cost him his life when he lost his balance. I remember thinking that day (and I think the same thing often when I hear about a new incident or injury) “What if that person could relive that one moment in time?” Only that man and God above know what was going on in his world and in his mind immediately prior to the accident. If his coworkers could have that moment in time again, how do you suppose they would have acted?

Of course things would have been different! Five seconds after you miss the nail and hit your finger with the hammer, you wish you could go back. I guarantee you would not miss the nail a second time. My point is, it so often takes a tragedy, downfall, or other detrimental setback in life to shake us and wake us so that we stop and rethink the situation. Sadly it is too late in most cases to do anything different. We then become RE-active instead of PRO-active.

Being proactive in work, in life, and in finances (to name a few items) can be beneficial. Think about how we unwittingly do just that in most cases. We know the electric bill is coming due therefore we don’t throw caution to the wind and spend all the money in our checking account. We know the weatherman says it’s going to rain tomorrow so we make sure we have the umbrella handy. We know certain events are on the horizon so we make preparations for them. We know how to be proactive in most circumstances.

When my daughter takes on the job of mowing the lawn, she makes sure she has on the big floppy hat to shade the sun, earplugs, safety glasses, and sun-block. She is being proactive against sunburn, hearing loss, particles in her eyes, and numerous other potentials for injury. She does this because she was taught to do this. She was taught by verbal communication. She was taught by example. Her actions were positively reinforced, corrected as necessary, and praised when correct. Thus it goes with behavior-based safety.

Let’s review an on-the-job example, completely fictitious and unrelated to anyone you may know. “Bob” is doing a good job and wearing the necessary protective gear. You approach him and praise his efforts and thank him for doing such a great job and being so conscientious. What have you accomplished? Bob now has been positively reinforced for his correct behavior. Bob will most likely not sustain needless injury on the job as he is aware that his actions are noticed and appreciated. Conversely if Bob were not working safely and you pointed it out to him in a professional manner, he now has the motivation to learn from constructive criticism and be a better employee.

On occasion, the “Bob” in this example will rebel and verbally strike back in a vain attempt to camouflage his wrongdoing. He is stiff-necked. He is hard-hearted. He is going to be a headache. If your intentions are right, you will have patience and understanding and work with him; as much as is reasonable within limitations and guidelines. You may turn him for the better. You may have to let him go. If you have not already noticed through these scenarios, there are some spiritual connotations being revealed here.

Having said all that and given it sufficient time to sink in, I want to take this a step further. First I will tell you my reasoning for going in the direction I am about to take. Every so often we should ask God to renew our burden for the lost, for the backslidden and for the discouraged. Always on time and on schedule, God does that for us. It may come during a service, or during prayer time, or during your study time. Suddenly you are overwhelmed by the pain people are feeling…the sense of hopelessness…the near-insane mind games that go on in their head as they try to sleep. You feel compassion as Christ felt compassion.

You begin to see Him on the Cross, beaten and bruised…bloody…face almost unrecognizable even to those who followed Him (Isaiah 52:14) and you begin to feel what He must have felt as His heart broke for those around Him. There was a moment that hangs forever in time in which the very Son of God cried out to His Father and asked Him why He had forsaken Him. Ponder that and let it sink in. Can you imagine THAT feeling? (Matthew 27:46)

We read about hell and we study about hell and we are given various descriptions of hell. In addition to being a literal place of fire and brimstone, the basic premise of hell is separation from God. Can you fathom that? A place where all hope is gone and there are NO second chances. A place where you could not even breathe the phrase “God have mercy” because you know it is too late for that.

Last night, I was awakened from sleep by the most frightful thought I can ever remember having. For one brief moment…be it a second or a minute or just the wisp of a passing thought…in my dream I felt the absence of the presence of God. It was horrible! I awoke in prayer, near tears, and very near panic. Instantly the calming reassurance of the Spirit of God came over me. It was as if I was allowed to feel that feeling to reawaken me to what is going on in the world around me. It was to reignite my passion for ministry. It was to keep me in check. For whatever reason, I am thankful that it happened… and at the same time still a bit shaken by it.

The thought was and still is absolutely horrific. I cannot find enough adjectives to describe it. I felt nauseous. I felt short of breath. I felt a great sense of dread. I felt like I was at the end of a long dark hallway and when I reached the end and found no door, I turned around only to find the walls had closed in around me. Worst of all, I was conscious that I could not get to God. I knew He existed. I knew He loved me. I knew He was somewhere out there; but I knew I could not reach Him. That was a glimpse of a spiritual hell. That was a glimpse into the souls of so many people around us every day. That was a glimpse into despair and hopelessness.

For days now, a song I wrote and recorded on my CD “Voice of Many Waters” has been rolling around in my head. The song is “If I Had Only Known”. This weekend my Pastor preached on the rich young ruler…the man God called a fool…and how he never saw what was coming. If that rich young ruler could have had that moment in time again; just before the Lord said “Thou fool…” how do you think he would have lived his life? When he lifted up his eyes in hell, he was being reactive and it was too late for that. Had he been a follower of Jesus in his life, he would have been proactive.

It is amazing how God works and how God orchestrates. I have realized that as a leader in my company, I must mentor, train, and lead by example to help others be successful, safe, and compliant with regulations. By the same token, as a leader in God’s organization I must do the same. It is incumbent on each and every born-again Christian to walk the talk, to lead by example, to teach, to mentor, to witness, to help…to realize this thing we call salvation is not for us alone…it is for everyone. Don’t fall out with me but it is for Bin Laden; it is for the child-killer; it is for the high school bully who picked on you and you still dislike to this day, it is for your neighbor and for your family; it is for EVERYONE. (Titus 2:11)

So, what can you do? What can I do? We must follow His example. He set the tone at an early age by being about His Father’s business and he continued that mission until His last breath…and beyond. When God speaks to you and you know it is Him speaking, then obey. If you cannot distinguish His voice then you need to reconnect the broken phone line so to speak. You need to know when it is Him because to put it frankly, the devil will make a fool of you if you let him.
Take time to look around you. What can you do to help? If you ask Him He will show you.

I remember being asked to minister in the Word for a congregation in Texas one spring morning. The church was in turmoil searching for a Pastor. Members were coming and going…nothing was certain for them. All of this I knew on the surface, yet I wanted to know how I could best help them. While sitting on the front row as the opening announcements and prayer requests were going forth, I asked God to show me how they felt. He did. I felt confused and hopeless. I felt like no one cared. I stood before that congregation and I saw faces that reflected those emotions. I was better able to minister to them on that day as a result of God’s willingness to help me have a Christ-like compassion.

We should strive for that compassion daily. Christ had it daily!

Here are the lyrics to that song I mentioned earlier. Verse/Chorus one deals with Christ’s followers on the day of His crucifixion. I had Peter in mind when I wrote the song, but it could apply to almost anyone. Verse/Chorus two will likely remind you of someone you know…someone you have watched being lowered into the earth as you wondered if they made it. The final chorus is based on the shock and horror of witnessing what we know as the “Rapture of the Church” and not being able to take part.

Please take time to read it and reflect on it. It stirs me every time I do. Let’s renew our commitment to be about the Father’s business. God bless you…

If I Had Only Known
Copyright JW Cooper, Jr. Three Green Nanners Music, BMI
(From the CD “Voice of Many Waters”)

Picture if you will a cross on a hill and they’re taking the Lord’s body down
A disciple stands there in grief and despair, so ashamed he just stares at the ground
The events of two days are being replayed again and again in his mind
And as the Body goes by he begins to cry, and call out to Jesus one last time

Lord if I had known last night what would happen, I would have fallen on my knees in prayer
I would have sweat drops of blood and called out to You, Father
And prayed the angels would meet us there!
Now they say it’s too late and they’re taking You away to suffer for the things I’ve done
I would have walked closer to You, Lord I would have been a Christian; if I had only known

Now imagine if you can the death of a man who never had room for God
He lived for the world all his life, said “I’ll get right before I die. I’ve got plenty of time” he thought
Now in judgment he stands before the Son of Man and they search through the book for his name
He knows it not there, too late he falls down in prayer, and cries out from heartache and shame

Lord if I had known last night what would happen, I would have fallen on my knees in prayer
I would have sweat drops of blood and called out to You, Father
And prayed the angels would meet us there!
Now You say it’s too late and You’re casting me away to suffer for the things I’ve done
I would have walked closer to You, Lord I would have been a Christian; if I had only known

Lord if I had known last night what would happen, I would have fallen on my knees in prayer
I would have sweat drops of blood and called out to You, Father
And prayed the angels would meet us there!
Now You say it’s too late and You’ve called Your Bride away, I’m left behind and all hope is gone!I would have walked closer to You, Lord I would have been a Christian; if I had only known
I would have given You my heart. I would have served You with gladness. If I had only known