Cuba is stuck in the 1950s. At least, you might think so if you look at its streets. Cubans haven’t been allowed to buy cars from the United States for almost 60 years. They still drive the old clunkers—out-of-date Fords, Chryslers, and Chevrolets. Business is sluggish in Cuba. Car parts are scarce. Cubans have been using scraps to patch the aging cars together for decades.

Watching Cuban life can feel like stepping back in time. The cars are so old they look glamorous to Americans. But driving such old cars has its downsides. If your car breaks, you might have to wait days for someone to carve new screws for it. No going to the auto parts store and grabbing some off a shelf!

Wrong ideas affect real life. That’s easy to see when you look at Cuba. Because of government rules, many Cubans cannot support themselves—no matter how many jobs they try. Three generations sometimes live under one roof. Internet access is scarce and slow. If anyone questions the government, he or she can be thrown in jail.

God gave us a perfect set of ideas to live by. They are in the Bible. His ideas have good effects on our real lives.

“The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul.” —Psalm 19:7