A bad day fishing

“The persistent temptation is to turn good things into God things.” _Jon Tyson, Beautiful Resistance: The Joy of Conviction in a Culture of Compromise

*****

Let’s put our philosopher’s hat on for a minute.

As important as Tyson’s quote about idolatry is (see above), idolatry is not our only temptation.

There is a hierarchy of goodness in every arena. Virtually anything can be good…in it’s own place and in it’s own time.

But not all good things are equal and not all good things are appropriate at all times.

For example, most people do not give their best at work because they’re tempted to do evil things, most often it’s because they become distracted by lessor “good” things.

It’s like the bumper sticker philosopher who said, “A bad day fishing is better than a good day at work.”

It’s a catchy saying but if you made a commitment to an employer to work for them and you have a family counting on you and you have bills you’ve committed to pay and you have hopes and dreams for a better future…

…then the bumper sticker philosophy is bad philosophy (and practice). You’re doing a good thing in a bad way at the wrong time.

The ONE THING for today: Beware of good things. All good things are not equal. They must be prioritized in their on good time or, without fail, they will compromise the greater good.

This won’t fit on a bumper sticker but it’s a much better philosophy. Nevertheless, I REALLY like this picture!