The Last Straw
Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. – 2 Peter 1:2-8 NKJV.
The Free Dictionary defines “The Last Straw” as “The last of a series of annoyances or disappointments that leads one to a final loss of patience, temper, trust, or hope.” The dictionary says the saying comes from an old proverb, “It’s the last straw that breaks the camel’s back.” It appears that quite a few people have experienced that “Last Straw” considering some of these headlines:
Great Grandmothers Fist Fight in Hospital Maternity Ward
Golfer Attacks Partner with Putter after Dispute over Marking Ball
Man Arrested After Stabbing Watermelon
Man Jailed After Fight Over Church Pew
Irate Man Walking on Boardwalk with Chainsaw Yelling at People
Math Teacher Faces Termination for Cussing out Students
High School Principal Charged with Trying to Burn Down School
TSA Officer Arrested, Accused of Making Terrorist Threat
Seattle Man goes Nuts Destroying Several Homes with Bulldozer
Bus Driver Accused of Choking Student
Those headlines were found on Drudge Report and there were many others far worse than these of people who experienced that Last Straw.
Have you ever lost it? Have you been down to the proverbial Last Straw and someone piled more onto your back? Many of us have been, and most of us are not proud of our actions when it occurred. Once when I lost it, I attacked a cousin, had him on the ground choking him, threatening verbally to kill him. It happened at school during recess when I was in the fourth grade. No, I did not kill him or even really hurt him, but I am still ashamed of the way I acted.
As Christians, we do not want to ever come to the point in our lives when there is a Last Straw that breaks our back resulting in our acting in an inappropriate manner. To assure that we never arrive at our Last Straw back breaking point we must tap into the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). Through being “partakers of the divine nature” we can “…add to (your) faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love (2 Peter 1:5-7 NKJV).”
If we are to be “partakers of the divine nature” as the apostle Peter says, we must do what? We must have contact with the divine, with God. If you never pray, never read the Bible, never assemble with other believers, never even think about God…don’t be surprised if that proverbial Last Straw that breaks the camel’s back, breaks yours!