Richard L. Evans
The Spoken Word
4 January 1970
IF WE DON’T CHANGE DIRECTION
There is a simple axiom which says: “A straight line is the shortest distance between two points.” There is another simple assertion, modified somewhat for our present purpose, which, in substance, says: If we don’t change direction, we will arrive at where we are going. This applies to people personally, to companies, to communities, to countries. If we don’t change direction, we shall arrive at where we are going.
If, for example, we are running more deeply in debt, we shall continue to run deeper into debt — unless we change direction. If we are doing anything detrimental to health and happiness, if we don’t change direction, we shall arrive at ill health and unhappiness. If our relationships with our loved ones are deteriorating, if we are moving toward less happiness in marriage, less happiness at home, sincerely we should search ourselves, and see what part we are playing in the downhill process, before we bring heartbreak to ourselves and to the lives of our loved ones. If we are falsifying, if we are engaging in small degrees of dishonesty, taking things that belong to others and not to us, breaking the law, not being quite truthful or forthright, not giving quite an honest day of effort — if persistently we are moving in such directions, we shall arrive at where they take us. If we are not taking the trouble to learn, to study, to apply ourselves, we shall arrive at wherever we’re going, knowing less than we ought to know.
Sometimes we live with the hope that something will happen to take us in a different direction. And it may be that something outside ourselves might do so. But even if someone else were to provide us with every opportunity, there would still have to be within us the will, the willingness to learn, to repent, to improve.
The way to change is to change. The way to repent is to depart from former practices— to change direction, to turn to the right road. If we don’t change direction, we will arrive at where we are going.
I can very clearly picture my father waving this at us and insisting we read it. He always appreciated articles like this that so clearly teach a profound truth.