When we lived in Budapest (2005-2009), I tried learning Hungarian. One afternoon, I decided to test my skills on our landlady. So I looked at her sleeping dog in the stairwell and in a sympathetic voice told her that her dog was tired.
When she quit laughing, she said, "Your Hungarian pronunciation was perfect. What were you trying to say?"
Then she explained that instead of saying her dog was tired, I'd said that her dog was a chicken butt. 😮
The U.S. Foreign Service Institute considers Hungarian one of the more difficult level-two languages. And I must admit that I never got beyond the basics, even though we lived in Hungary for five years. I can baby-talk a bit, but I can't carry on a conversation.
If I had to depend on my Hungarian skills, I would often be confused, misled, and misunderstood. And that's a great analogy for navigating life without knowing God's Word.
If we want to live for the Lord, discerning false teachings and correctly speaking God's truth, we must carefully study the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
Fortunately, God's Word is translated into English, so I've found it easier to learn than Hungarian. 😊 And I have an excellent teacher—God's Spirit, my Divine Translator.
Note for Hungarian speakers: I meant to say fáradt but I said far-hát.
To read about another adventure during my time in Budapest, see Bad Step.
Can you hear the hysterical laughing, Gail? That sounds like something I would mistakenly say.
ReplyDeleteConcerning God's Word, I have heard people take verses out of context and interpret an entirely false meaning! We need ALL of Gods Word to rightly apply it. Great analogy!
In confusing times, God's word is the only thing that makes sense! We can count on His word to be true! Love this analogy!
ReplyDeleteBlessings, Joan
I needed to read this this morning. I'm learning to study the Bible for the first time right now and it's a struggle to put into practice what I'm learning. The temptation is to simply put studying Scripture on the back burner and I have so many excuses to do just that. But when you get right down to it, they're excuses. And life is just better when I'm living out the principles my Father is teaching me.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you understand the importance of studying Scripture. We all need God's Word to navigate our lives! God bless you!
Deletegreat i like it
ReplyDelete