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MONDAY MANNA

A service to the business community


December 14, 2009

CHOOSING YOUR TOOLS – AND THE ADVICE YOU ACCEPT

By: Jim Mathis

Some time ago I was talking with a website designer who assured me that everyone uses Mozilla Firefox as
their primary browser, so I should optimize my site for that browser. According to him, Internet Explorer was
now outdated and I could pretty much ignore it.

I am often reminded by my friends using Macintosh computers that everyone important uses Macs, so I
should stop working with Microsoft Windows.

I did a little research, which is easy enough to do, and determined that only 8% of people accessing my
websites use Firefox. More than 90%, however, use some form of Internet Explorer. Also, only 7% of them
use Macintosh.

Learning that more than 90% of the people use Windows and Internet Explorer reminded me to always take
other people’s opinions with caution. It also reminded me to be careful about expressing my own opinions,
since they can be easily verified or refuted by factual data.

In Acts 17:11, the Bible says, “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for
they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul
said was true.” Examining the Scriptures to check the facts is the very definition of noble character, according
to this passage.

We should not blindly accept what people tell us without doing our own thoughtful study. This is true
whenever we are making important business, financial and personal decisions, but perhaps even more crucial
for issues with eternal consequences. It may not make much difference which Internet browser you prefer to
use, but understanding God’s love and the forgiveness He offers through faith in Jesus Christ does have major
consequences for eternity. Therefore, your conclusions should not be left to hearsay and the opinions of
others, without studying the original source book – the Bible.

Since the discussion I had with the website designer, I have downloaded Firefox and found it does have a few
advantages. Internet Explorer, however, also has some advantages, so I find myself switching back and forth
depending upon the situation. They are both only tools and there is no universal tool for searching the
Internet. The more tools you have in your toolbox, and the more you know when to use them, the better.

The same holds true for spiritual growth. Bible study is an important tool for learning about God. Prayer is
another important component in our spiritual growth, but so is encouragement from others that are part of
our community of faith, as well as what we learn by listening to sermons, other spiritual presentations,
reading books and other means for gaining spiritual understanding.

Three points to remember:


• Do not believe everything you hear.
• Use all the useful tools that are available.
• Be open to what God is saying to you.

Jim Mathis is the owner of a photography studio in Overland Park, Kansas, specializing in executive,
commercial and theatrical portraits, and recently has opened a school of photography. He formerly was a
coffee shop manager and executive director of CBMC in Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri.
CBMC INTERNATIONAL: Robert Milligan, President
1065 N. 115th Street, Suite 210 ▪ Omaha, Nebraska 68154 ▪ U.S.A.
TEL.: (402) 431-0002 ▪ FAX: (402) 431-1749 ▪ E-MAIL: info@cbmcint.org
Please direct any requests or change of address to: www.cbmcint.org

Reflection/Discussion Questions

1. When seeking advice, how do you determine who you go to for counsel – and what you do
with the information you receive?

2. Have you ever taken advice that someone gave to you with great conviction, only to later
determine the individual was wrong? What were the consequences you encountered?

3. Many esteemed business periodicals have affirmed the significance of spirituality in the
workplace. In terms of spiritual growth, what tools have you found most helpful?

4. Jim Mathis refers to the ancient Bereans, who examined the Scriptures daily to discern
mine whether what the apostle Paul was telling them was true. What do you think about
this approach to seeking spiritual understanding? Has this proved helpful for you? Explain
your answer.

If you would like to look at or discuss other portions of the Bible that relate to this topic, consider
the following brief sampling of passages:

Joshua 1:8; Psalm 119:9-11, 105; Philippians 4:8-9; 2 Timothy 2:2, 3:14-17; Hebrews
10:24-25

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