Modern-Day Tassels

I'm going to begin this article with a passage from the Old Testament, and while the passage itself might seem kind of dry, there is, I believe, a valuable lesson here. So bear with me...

"Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 'Speak to the children of Israel: Tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a blue thread in the tassels of the corners. And you shall have the tassel, that you may look upon it and remember all the commandments of the Lord and do them, and that you may not follow the harlotry to which your own heart and your own eyes are inclined, and that you may remember and do all My commandments, and be holy for your God" (Numbers 15:37-40).

God knew that His people were going to be tempted by idolatry. He knew that the world's pull on them would be strong, and so he commanded them to attach these tassels to their garments to remind them of their duty to obey the commandments of the Lord. Why tassels? Why blue thread? I can't say for sure, but that doesn't change the purpose of the commandment. 

Similarly, in Deuteronomy 6:7-9, they were commanded to write the words of the Law on the doorposts of their house and their gates. Why? To keep the people from forgetting the Lord (Deut. 6:12).

The law is written on our hearts (2 Cor. 3:3; Heb. 8:10), and yet I cannot help but think that it's good to have reminders of God and His word...things that we have around us that direct our minds back to God. What are your modern-day tassels? What might you surround yourself with that will have the same effect as these blue-threaded tassels of old?

Maybe you have pictures hanging up on your walls of Bible verses. When I turn on my cell-phone, there is a message that comes on the screen: "Redeem the time" (Eph. 5:16). Maybe it's a sign above your television set that says, "I will set nothing wicked before my eyes" (Psalm 101:3). Some folks sign up for daily devotional emails, or daily scripture readings on Facebook.

Again, what are your modern-day tassels? What things have you placed in your life to remind you of the Lord?

Of course, we can take this to such an extreme that such "tassels" become a crutch. In other words, we might use these signs, pictures and email alerts to provide spiritual stimulation all the while neglecting our actual Bibles. Worse yet, these "tassels" can become idols in our lives so that instead of having a strong, inward faith, our "faith" is sustained by visual aids and tangible objects. Such a faith is superficial.

Avoid these two extremes, but don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. Surround yourself with things that remind you of the Lord. Because certainly, we are all surrounded by things that detract from the Lord...and we need all the help we can get to stay focused.