Have you ever wondered at the moth that slams repeatedly into a light bulb – wham! Again and again and again - bam, bam, bam! Then, of course, there is the less fortunate moth that spots fire instead and, as if ultimate bliss awaits, flutters full speed into the flame. Wow, we think, “That’s insane!” Why does the moth do it? But when we look around and even look in the mirror at our own lives, we often look just as foolish.

At about age twelve we transition from being boys and girls to young men and women. At sixteen we are eligible for a drivers’ license. At eighteen we move from being a minor to an adult where we can vote or marry without parental consent. But when do we get an official Life Manual? Our government does not issue an official “Life Manual” – at least not yet! But, there are two vastly different sources that tell us how to live. Life Manual “A” is made up of many voices including media, schools, peers and family. Life manual “B” is the Bible. Both claim to offer the good life..

And isn’t it true that all humans are basically the same? We want to enjoy life; we want to have a good time; we want to get the most out of life. We want to maximize pleasure and minimize misery. Life Manual “A” points to many paths to great pleasure, but, as the Oak Ridge Boys put it, “sometimes the pleasure ain’t worth the pain.” So many “pleasurable” activities leave an awful aftertaste that lingers long after the fun is gone. The meth addict doesn’t set out thinking how wonderful it would be to be toothless in his 30’s. When picking up a six pack after work, the alcoholic does not see himself beating his four year old daughter later that evening. The porn addict didn’t start peeking around hoping to trash his marriage and lose his family.

If you feel like you’re drowning - like your life has been turned upside–down - know that you are not alone. None of us want to ruin our lives; no one craves disaster; no one seeks suffering, and yet, when we follow our own instincts or, even worse, follow the crowd (Life Manual A), we eventually find ourselves in over our heads. Even the rich and famous with all their advantages make life-altering, self-destructive blunders in the pursuit of pleasure. Think about Pete Rose, Britney Spears, Tiger Woods and Lindsay Lohan. With all they have accomplished and acquired, it’s still hard not to pity them. Heartbreak and helplessness is nearly synonymous to the human condition.

Life Manual “B” predicts this. The Holy Spirit addresses our pitiful state in Romans 3:10-12, 16-17: "There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one…Destruction and misery are in their ways; And the way of peace they have not known." The prophet writes in Isaiah 53:6, “All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way…

While the world tells us, “If it feels good, do it,” the Word of God tells us in Proverbs 14:12, “There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.” Then, again, in Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

If your life is upside-down and you are looking for a better way, take heart. Jesus has your back. Jesus is the Good Shepherd that will lead you away from the cliff and toward green pasture. Jesus offers freedom from the turmoil. He guarantees stability in a world that is rocking. He says in John 8:31-32, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

Please look at the Life Manual that God has given to us in major areas that frequently trip us up.

ALCOHOL - LUST - GREED - POPULARITY