"This is what he showed me: the Lord was standing beside a wall built with a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand. And the LORD said to me, 'Amos, what do you see?' And I said, 'A plumb line.' Then the Lord said, 'See, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel.'" [Amos 7:7-8 NRSV]
A plumb line is something that keeps us from getting out of line, from traveling a crooked path. A plumb line helps us to avoid being stranded in shallow water and ensures that we will travel on safe seas. Moral and spiritual plumb lines are a necessity in life. Without some type of guidance, philosophy or creed, we are more likely to get ourselves into trouble and travel down a path that is nonproductive at best or dangerous at worst.
What is your plumb line? What keeps you grounded? I have a number of plumb lines myself. Theologically speaking, the commandments to love God and love neighbor are my anchor. I always try to evaluate what I do by asking if my words and actions are drawing me closer to God/others or are they having the opposite effect?
Relationally speaking, my husband is definitely a plumb line, along with my closest friends and family. I count on all of these people to be my sounding board. I also know they will challenge me when they think I'm headed in the wrong direction.
We all need plumb lines in life. Without it we're just flying blind without a compass. Lately, we've been watching plenty of politicians and celebrities crash and burn because they didn't have a strong enough plumb line. Think about the significant relationships in your life and make sure those people are not "enablers" but will help you to grow in healthy and life-affirming directions.
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