The Scars of Many Dark Deeds

 

 If you are a parent, then you understand that our children get to a point where they know everything and they don’t want to listen to us anymore. We only see them when they want to do laundry or need something. They do not want to abide by our rules anymore. They want to go it alone. And when trouble hits and/or they are injured, broken or wounded by life, we often get the blame for something they chose to do. Somewhere in there, we should have known, we should have stepped in, we should have saved the day.

It is amazing how it is our fault for decisions that we had no part in. No one came and asked what they should do before they do it. Or if they did, they refused to listen to our advice and did the opposite. We only hear of it after the fact when things go bad. You would, or may not, be surprised to learn that, as Christians, we do the exact same thing.

(I must say though, that my kids love to tell me that I cannot take the blame for decisions that they make as adults, even if I did screw up as a parent from time to time. I try to explain that some things that we do, or don’t do, as parents actually does have a lasting effect on our children’s decision-making skills. However, if and when you have God in your life in a real way, as opposed to just wearing the name tag, you are bound to be more successful at making choices.)

I minister to people in many ways. One common thread is that they come to me and ask where God is in the situation. They put it in many other words, like ‘I feel distant from God.’ ‘I feel unloved.’ ‘I don’t know why God has abandoned me.’

People often will say that they have relationship with Him and when asked what that looks like, they admit that they, themselves, have not sought Him in any way for a long time or… at all. I think they just think He owes it to them to rescue them from every difficult situation that they get themselves into whether they know Him or not. This would be as if I were to demand that a total stranger come pay my debt because I deserve it. Do you see the parallel? It is difficult to draw some people to the conclusion that it isn’t God that left them, but they left God to pursue their own way in this world and He let them because of free will.

Isa 59:2: “But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.”

You can’t have a relationship, say with a spouse, if you never spend time with them, talk to them, get to know them, seek their counsel, include them in your life choices. If you continue to run around as if you are single, not seeking their input or spending time with them, then, you truly aren’t married in the heart sense of the word. And let me tell you, we, as people, are not that gracious. That kind of behavior would only last so long before we kick you to the curb. (Worldly speaking of course)

Too much of the time, people admit that they don’t ask God what He wants before they make a decision that will affect their lives forever. We ignore the warning signs in life and run straight into wrongdoing without giving it much of a second thought. When the natural consequences come knocking on our door, we ask why God let this happen or where He was/is in all of it.

2 James 4:7,10: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.”

Where? He was mercifully standing right there in front of you, begging you to seek Him when you literally turned and ran off with the enemy of your own free will. That is where He was.

I can picture Jesus looking down on us watching as we run too fast into the darkness, fall on our faces over and over again, wearing the name tag of Christian but the scars of many dark deeds. His heart hurts as we get farther and farther from the Light and truth.

Psalm 46:1: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

And yet, the word tells us that He leaves the 99 sheep and pursues the lost one. We are precious to Him.

There are bad things in the world called sin and death. There are natural consequences to many things that we choose to do. We shout at God for the unfairness, forgetting that this world is subject to free will just as we are, and some people choose evil over good. Innocent bystanders get caught in the line of fire.

Gal 6:7: “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.”

God gets the blame for the natural consequences of sin and death: Some examples of natural consequences are:

·         I put smoke or chemicals in my body for years and get deathly ill as a result

·         I deal drugs and my children get taken away, or worse, shot in a drive by

·         Someone that I love dies whether by illness, intent, accident, or violence

·         I marry someone that shows signs of being mean, unethical and or not equally yoked and I get caught in the violence or darkness

I could go on with a gazillion examples, but I won’t.

Listen! Bad things do happen to good people. People have free will and some people use it for evil. Sin and satan are the authors of evil in our lives, God is not. There are natural consequences to everything in this life. There is no relationship unless you take an active part in it.

The bible doesn’t promise that you won’t have trials in this life. In fact, He warns us that if we take up our cross and follow Him, we are guaranteed to have trials for His name sake. But the rewards of following Him far outweigh the damage done.

James 1:2-4: “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

Be at peace and know that God loves us and His mercy endures forever. I remind you of this for those who seek Him:

Psalm 23:  “The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”