Instruction Manual

I fought the Veg-O-Matic, and the Vege-O-Matic won! If you’re wondering what a Vege-O-Matic is, let me explain. A Vege-O-Matic is a kitchen tool that allows one to quickly and easily slice vegetables. It’s the kind of apparatus that you might see in a late-night television commercial. It has a very sharp blade, and slicing the vegetables is as simple as moving them quickly along the slippery tray that leads to it. One can slice a potato at high speeds. I was very excited when I recently found this particular gadget at a thrift store. It came with the original box, extra tools, and an instruction manual.

Slicing My Finger

I was slicing potatoes for an upcoming meal this past weekend, and I must have been daydreaming. My right index finger got in the way. Before I knew it, I was halfway through the blade with the tip end of it. I immediately got that “uh-oh” feeling that always comes to mind when you know you’ve just done something stupid. The Vege-O-Matic came with a tool to hold the potatoes with. But I rationalized that I was too busy to bother using it.

As the blood spurted from the tip of my throbbing finger, I wished I had paid more attention to what I was doing. The instruction manual had all the warnings of what NOT to do. But I had been too engaged in doing it my way. I’m an adult, middle-aged man, and I hate to admit that there are times when I still trust my inclinations over clear instructions.

Reading the Instructions

I’ve been thinking a great deal about this little mishap lately—especially when I try to type with this index finger that’s so sore. Reading the instructions would have saved me the pain of being reminded of it all week. I could have accomplished a complete reading of this eight-page instruction booklet in about five minutes—but I couldn’t be bothered. Now I’m being bothered by a reminder of my carelessness every day.

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17,  ESV).

Reading these instructions can guide us towards making good decisions—not only in the present but for the future!

If you liked this, you might also like The Missing Piece | The Power of the Word of God: God’s Instruction Manual 

Michael Temple writes from North Dakota.

© 2002 - 2024, AnswersForMe.org. All rights reserved. Click here for content usage information.