The little foxes that spoil the vines . . . SONG OF SOLOMON 2:15
According to Psychology Today, 70 percent of high school students and nearly half of college students confess to cheating. USA Today reported that 91 percent of Americans lie routinely. Our culture says, “If you want to get ahead, you have to break a few rules.” But the Bible warns that “little sins” can be just as damaging as the big ones—or more so. Commentator Matthew Henry wrote, “Adam’s eating forbidden fruit seemed but a little sin, but it opened the door to the greatest.” Are you being tempted to compromise your integrity? Tempted to cheat at school? Pressured to be dishonest at work? Drawn into an “innocent little relationship”? We must live by biblical principles, faithful to the standards of a holy God. As evangelist Charles Finney put it, “A person who is dishonest in little things isn’t really honest in anything.” On the other hand, Jesus rewards those who are “faithful over a little” (Matthew 25:21 ESV). Make sure the little, hidden areas of your life are governed by your convictions, not corrupted by your compromises. - Dr. David Jeremiah Morning and Evening
We, more often than not, take a look at our choices and decisions that we make with dirty lenses. We indeed don't think that what we follow, who we follow, what is good, what isn't good is really all that bad.
I am constantly cleaning my glasses. The reason being is to see what I am doing and where I am going.
In Christ we are told to look at our choices and decisions. Take every thought captive to the glory of God.
I know that I am guilty of abusing right and wrong. As a good example there's that few miles over the speed limit that I often drive. Nothing significant yet its a common occurrence. It's still wrong to do.
We like to put our own salve on our conscience in order to feel better without asking the Spirit of Truth what should be thought or said. We often even decide for others who are easily old enough to choose things for themselves.
We decide to divide our loyalty to God and call it other things. We can call it being organized. We can call it order to our lives. It's really our plans and not God's plan.
We decide to be passionate about something or someone and convince ourselves that it's ok to divide our devotion between God and that whatever or whomever it is.
We choose to decide, rather than listening to the Spirit, as to what constitutes being of the world.
I am just writing what I am told to write.
I am indeed one of those who deceive myself in what I do each day. Sure in many of these posts I have written about giving up certain things and ways in my life.
Living as adults we are responsible for our activities and actions before Christ Jesus.
We have enough on our plate to be responsible for without adding to it the lives of others that are also responsible before Christ Jesus. Children are indeed the responsibility of their parents, but only to a certain extent.
We are indeed experts at believing...whether or not we believe the right things is something else. Satan has been working on human beliefs since the beginning of humanity.
Twisting the Word of God from humanities earliest days in the Garden of Eden.
Getting people to believe in a false sense of control. That they can wield the power of control over themselves and others. That they can live out lives that are good.
Yes, Satan's really good at convincing people that there's nothing wrong with how they live their lives. That there's nothing wrong with interpersonal relationships. That there's nothing wrong with what we choose to do and that there's no real cause to ask God about things.
He is an expert in psychological warfare.
He has had centuries to perfect the art of manipulation of mankind, wherever he is permitted to work out his plans. Satan's plans are both for his attempts at bringing his own kingdom to bear as well as ruining the individual lives who are truly trying to follow Christ Jesus.
Satan's perfected manipulation on levels that are beyond what psychology teaches to observe in this world. When the Spirit steps aside after the Rapture of the Church this whole world will be taken in by his words and work quite easily. Look at the diverse world in which you and I live and consider that in a very short period of time Satan will have mobilized it into a one world government and ideology after he is allowed to by God.
We look at the structure of families and Satan's doing the same but on a smaller scale. We look at our own personal life and if we are honest we will see his attempts at getting us to do things that are really not right.
We are the easiest to convince that things we choose aren't all that bad.
Yet look at the significance. We call sins mistakes. God calls them sins. We say that this or that in our lives is enjoyable and good, God's Word might call it an encumbrance that shouldn't be there. We think that we are doing what's right and good for others and in reality we are interfering with God plans for them. Serving others is one thing, deciding for others because of our sense of good and bad not so much.
I really appreciate the Scriptures. But I also can't remember them all the time. I am a follower of Christ and I also sin. I often am aware of my sins. I am also unaware of many of my sins because of my desires to see my will being done.
I have made mention of my misdirected passions. To me things like sports and the entertainment industry are stumbling blocks to me. I used to misdirect my passions towards those things and it took several instances in my life for God to show me that my passions were meant to only be with Him.
We can have all the best intentions in the world. The problem is we don't consult God before having those intentions.
Nobody will stand with a lawyer or pastor or priest before Christ Jesus in that day we all stand before Him to give an answer for what we have done in the body.
We won't have even our parents with us.
It will be just us and Jesus.
The Bible is to be our instruction book for our choices and decisions. The Spirit is to be our Instructor. Teaching us all things. As Disciples we are to do what He teaches. To teach others to do the same. To indeed bring about His Will being done on Earth as it is in Heaven. In Heaven it isn't the will of the people. It's God's Will being done. It's not the Kingdom of Mankind, but God's Kingdom.
We do more harm than good in our lives and the lives of others when we don't look to God's Word. When we think that this or that isn't all that bad.
When we aren't allowing others to make their own mistakes. A great deal of societies problems are also in that too many people with good intentions interfering with what God intended.
When you are tempted, and oh yes my Dear Reader it's probably the grandfather of all temptations, to decide to think something isn't all that bad, stop. The only filter is God's Word. The only one.
When you are tempted to make decisions for someone else, be sure it's right for you to do so. Be sure that You aren't deciding for someone and are maybe interfering with what God's doing in them.
Being lead by the Spirit is to listen to the Spirit.
If at all you think something isn't all that bad...it probably is.
We read of how much Jesus loves us. We read of how He's wanting people who come to Him for salvation to always remember Him as their first love. We read of Him telling people to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and spirit. All.
Rethink what you are doing. Rethink your intentions. Rethink what you think is in the best interests of others and yourself. In reality are you helping yourself more than others?
Rethink whether or not something is all that bad or not because someday...someday you will give an account for it, the same as I will be. The Bible will be the standard by which things will be measured.
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