Thankful For YouTube?
When my older brother Dan and I were starting high school we began learning to play the guitar. I tried to keep up with him but Dan learned a lot faster than me. He already knew lots of things about music and guitar playing while I was still trying to master the F chord. For instance he could play the opening guitar part from that Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young’s protest song, Ohio. I asked him to show me how he did it and he said, “I’ll show you once.” And then he played it too fast for me to figure out what his fingers were doing.
“Show me again,” I pleaded.
“Nope,” He said like an older brother would. “I already showed you.”
In all fairness he did finally show me later. I guess he felt bad.
And when we were growing up, both my brothers, Dan, Tim and I all had our ham radio Novice licenses.
I barely passed the Morse code and simple radio theory tests. But Dan and Tim went on to acquire their General licenses which meant they had to be able to send and receive code almost 3 times faster, not to mention learn the much more complex radio theory and operating requirements including FCC regulations that were written in ‘government-ease’. A language I don’t think anybody really understands. It definitely wasn’t something I wanted to read, let alone study. I just knew I’d never pass.
(Later in life I managed to learn how to read and understand postal regulations and requirements but it was never easy. I would usually have to reread things several times to catch on. And even now there’s some doubt.)
I wish I knew more about how computers worked like Dan and Tim and even our little sister Anna could figure out. But I’m not very good at that either. Although I try.
So I guess I would have to say I’m thankful for YouTube. From YouTube I’ve learned how to do all sorts of things like how to back up a trailer, or get a small engine started or how set up my new smartphone or install a home network, or put a new fuel line into an old chainsaw or wire a 3-way light switch or to put back together my old two-staged snowblower after I took it apart to put in new drive belts. Up until I watched several YouTube’s I couldn’t even figure out how to change a light bulb in my pickup turn signal. Before YouTube I would have had to pay someone to do things like that. Or (shudder), I’d have to go ask somebody for their help.
YouTube makes me look like I know what I’m doing and I appreciate that. It’s not easy to be that guy that doesn’t know what all the other guys are talking about. (Although I’m kinda used to that) I mean, I even finally learned how to play a few things on my guitar like the first few bars of Alice’s Restaurant. Of course my fingers don’t bend like they used to, so I’m not promising a public debut.
Yes, I’ve learned a lot from YouTube and am thankful for it. But I’m even more thankful for God’s Word. The Bible teaches me about much more important things than how to do an opening riff on a decades old pop song. It answers life’s big questions from God’s point of view and gives us hope and direction for our lives. It shows us where we came from, and how we ended up with all our problems in this messed up world and how to be rescued from it.
And the Bible doesn’t tell us in the same manner my older brother did when he was 15. In a straightforward way it tells me what I need to know. And it tells me over and over so I’ll get it. So more than anything I’m thankful for my Bible, God’s Word.
In it I found out that it’s impossible for me to ever be good enough for God to accept me because He is perfectly righteous. But God, in His mercy gives me His righteousness as a gift.
and being found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; —Philippians 3.9
Not by me working to be perfect but by believing that Jesus, His Son has done the work for me. I just have to believe what God says about it.
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. —John 5.24
And when I place my trust in the work Christ has done, then God accepts me and welcomes me into a right relationship with Him.
“For I will forgive their iniquities and will remember their sins no more.” —Hebrews 8.12
And I’m very glad that it isn’t up to me. I just don’t have the ability to be pleasing to God except by doing things His way and I can even be pleasing to God the Father by going to Him through His Son, Jesus Christ.
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. —2 Peter 1.3
Yes, YouTube has it’s merits in earthly things, but when it comes to understanding everlasting life, the Bible has all the right answers. And for that, I’m very thankful!
11Teach me Your way, O LORD,
that I may walk in Your truth.
Give me an undivided heart,
12I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart;
I will glorify Your name forever.
13For great is Your loving devotion to me;
You have delivered me from the depths of Sheol.
–Psalm 86.11-13