From the June, 2000 issue of *Touchstone*

Poison Control by Thomas S. Buchanan

Poison Control

My son, if thou wilt receive the utterance of my commandment, and hide it with thee; thine ear shall hearken to wisdom.
—Proverbs 2:1

My three-year-old son recently went through a rebellious stage. About a month ago he informed my wife and me that we were not to instruct him anymore because he was “talk-sick”: he had heard all that he wanted to hear and had no more use for further instructions or commandments. His request was not granted, but it has caused me to think about my own tendencies to avoid God’s instructions.

We all become a little “toxic” as we wander from God’s commandments. At such times, in our stubbornness we do not wish to be reminded of his instructions as we are busy clinging to our own desires. But to the extent that what God expects of us differs from what we expect of ourselves, our lives will be filled with toxins.

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Thomas S. Buchanan is the George W. Laird Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Delaware. He has studied at UCSD, Northwestern University, and MIT, and has held visiting professorships at the University of Western Australia and the University of Aix-Marseille. He has served as department chairman, deputy dean, and institute director, president of the American Society of Biomechanics, and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Applied Biomechanics. He is on the Board of Trustees of Saint Katherine College, the editorial board of Touchstone, and the board of The Fellowship of St. James.

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