DECIDE: Five-Minute Friday

Do I Agree With God?

To decide is, hopefully, the result of thoughtful comparison of at least two choices, if not many more. There are certainly many choices in this world for just about everything. One of the things everyone can decide is the true nature and course of every person left to their own desires and wills. I have met some, dare I say many, that conclude that every person is basically good. These have decided that all everyone really needs is more education, a better neighborhood, more financial security, or whatever else they are lacking in the material realm. There is little or no thought given to the spiritual realm and what the Bible clearly says about this topic.

A Former Coworker’s View About Humanity

I recall a conversation with a coworker that must have taken place at least thirty-five or forty years ago. His name was Bill. Bill told me that humanity was getting better-and-better. The goodness of humanity was growing over time. He said the only reason it looked like things were getting worse, and not better, is that we had more news than people had two hundred years ago. I asked Bill, “Why then did you leave working in the public school system as a teacher of children, to take a lonely job as a night shift computer operator?”

He had a hard time admitting it was because he could no longer deal with the increasing trouble and even hatred and evil in the school. I knew this was the case, because he had told me this on more than one occasion. He had decided humanity was getting better even though his own personal experience seemed to shout a loud contrary opinion.

Does God Tell The Truth?

My point is this: to get to a proper understanding of the scriptures, one has to decide either that the scriptures are telling the truth about man, and about God, or one has to decide the Bible is clearly crazy talk. At best, perhaps, the Bible is a good moral suggestion box even if the decision is that no one is really evil or a sinner.

I know my own heart and motives well enough to know that I am what the scripture says: a sinner. Thankfully, I also know what the scriptures say about the provision God has made for sin. The Gospel of John and the Book of Romans are clear on that count. I’ve decided to agree with God. If I agree that I am a sinner, then it would seem sensible to know that I don’t have peace with the Creator. It doesn’t have to be that way.

As a result, I now can decide how I will think. Paul’s guidance to the church in Philippi is often brought to memory: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:8-9

This too is a decision. I can choose to have thoughts about life, people, and my circumstances that result in worry, anger, impatience, or selfishness. Or I can take a biblical view of my situation to think about these things the way Paul directed his readers to think.

Five Minute Friday

This post is part of the weekly Five-Minute Friday link-up.