In 1971 William Hall of Shrewsbury, England killed himself by drilling eight holes in his head with a power drill. I know that’s a pretty gruesome way to begin this devotional. However, the significant fact to note is that he drilled seven holes in his head and was still alive. I could not help but think of a conversation I had with a college student. He was convinced that some of God’s commands were really quite unreasonable. He boasted that he had broken nine of them and was doing fine. He hadn’t killed anyone. He totally rejected my argument that God’s laws were made to protect us from ourselves and others. I wish I had known about William Hall when I talked with my student. Mr. Hall is a great illustration of the truth that you cannot continue to do something really stupid before it kills you. One might get lucky for a few times but not for always.
The truth is God’s commands do make good sense. God isn’t trying to deprive us of anything good. Notice I said “good.” God is trying to deprive us of heartbreak, pain, jail, ruined relationships, etc. If it’s good for us God wants us to enjoy it in moderation. No going off the deep end on good things. Too much of anything is ultimately bad. You can even go to church too much.
I figure this is a good time of the year to talk about Mr. Hall considering the fact that many of you have eggnog in your refrigerator, sugar cookies on the table, and boxes of See’s Candy given to you as presents. Just because you over ate last year and got away with it doesn’t mean you can do it this year!
Written by Roger Bothwell on December 22, 2010
Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574
Rogerbothwell.org