Even in Turmoil, God Has a Balance For Us

"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to the flesh will of the flesh reap corruption; but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life." (Gal 6:7-8)

Being a Christian in the world is a tough business at times. Oftentimes the ones who do good are the ones who struggle along in life the most. For example, during the real estate boom, the people who borrowed illegally to flip homes made lots of money if they were able to get out in time. Mortgage brokers and Wall Street bankers who securitized bad mortgages made even more money - in the realm of millions per person. In order to do this business, many people directly committed fraud - and almost everyone in the industry indirectly were committing some sort of moral breach in participating in these cycles of bad mortgages that would one day need to come due.

Now society as a whole is reaping the corruption sown by these folks. In this environment, the few who were trying to manage their money and businesses right are left wondering at the injustice of it all. Why are we all suffering when a group of people were sowing to their flesh and made out like bandits? Will anyone come to justice for these frauds and sins? It is not likely. In fact, Wall Street has resumed giving themselves millions of dollars in bonuses based on bailout monetary policies (policies in which a monkey could make money since the Fed is giving funds to the Wall Street bankers for free).

All of this current theatre does seem like a mockery at times. In fact, it feels like it spits in the face of the average God fearing Christian. It is frustrating and maddening.

However, the truth is that God is not to be mocked. He knows everything that happened to the most minute detail, and it has not escaped him. I don't know what will happen to those individuals who are in the midst of this mess - but I do know that vengeance is not ours to take.

"Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to [God's] wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. Therefore "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head." Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good. (Rom 12:19-21)

In a legal setting, if a crime can be prosecuted and punished, it should be done. For a society cannot survive if consequences are not meted out against lawbreakers.

However, for those sins and corruptions and are not prosecutable by legal means - God will give to each man according to his doings. His wrath may never occur through monetary penalties, but it could certainly be reflected in the condition of their personal lives. We never know - but at least the responsibility for the judgment is not ours to take - and that is something that is a relief. Our role is to simply continue to do good as we are able and to not be drawn into evil through revenge.

For me, the verse in Gal 6 is personal. What am I doing to reap everlasting life? Have I been sowing to the Spirit, or have I been sowing to the flesh? It is a delicate question, and in truth I would have to say that the Lord has definitely limited my opportunities to sow to the flesh, for which I am grateful.

I have a great family with which to spend time - the times with them are the most important in my life next to my time with the Lord. We are all healthy and happy. In addition, we are not wanting for anything urgent - there is enough food and our possessions are okay at this time. Neither do I have the distraction that too much money can bring - the lure and desire for that money can be both intoxicating and endlessly obsessive.

No - I have a good situation in which I need to rely upon the Lord daily for everything, and because of that my focus is currently rooted in the Spirit. There is a balance there which helps me to my knees daily.

But, that can easily change. I know I am not immune to temptations and pride. It can strike any of us if we are not prudent and careful.

Lord Jesus, I know that there are many things in the world which seem unfair. However, I know that you will judge in your wisdom and each man will be given his due - for good or for bad. Am I so thankful however, that in the midst of the current economic turmoil, that You have sought out our family and structured our lives in a balance. A balance that continues to draw us nearer and nearer to You first and foremost. As long as we get closer to You, we will sow more and more of the Spirit - and in the end, we will rejoice with You in everlasting life. That is our deepest desire and wish because all that we see in the world will indeed fade away, and when that happens we want to know that we've been faithful in our worship of You. Please help us to walk in this way. In Jesus' name, AMEN.

Stay Away From Bad Associates

"I have raised my hand to the Lord, God Most High, the Possessor of heaven and earth, that I will take nothing, from a thread to a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say, 'I have made Abram rich'..." (Gen. 14:22-23)

The King of Sodom had wanted to gain favor with Abram after Abram had won an important battle over many local Kings during a mission to rescue is nephew Lot. Politically, the move made sense for Abram to broker a deal with the King of Sodom to strengthen his ties in the region.

But, Abram already knew that Sodom was a place of great sin, and that to ally himself with them would be contrary to his worship of the Lord. In fact, Abram was angry at the thought that he should accept any assistance from the King of Sodom because he didn't want to create any kind of obligation or connection with such a city.

In America, we live in a capitalist society, which has many freedoms, and that's generally good. However, when we focus on capitalism instead of liberty, we are entrusting our decisions to strict monetary bases rather than to consider the larger spiritual ramifications of our conduct.

In my personal life, I think about the types of companies that I want to work for. Yes, a job is a job, but there are good companies and bad companies, and to choose to work for a company that has no morality except making money can lead to associating and tying myself spiritually to a place that is committing sinful actions.

The truth is that we cannot do the Lord's will when we compromise on the quality of our associations. If Jesus had only curried favor based on political cunning, he could have been the leader of the whole Jewish nation. That would have been a nice worldly outcome, but it would have been contrary to everything that He was sent to Earth to do.

Instead, He chose the harder path, and rebuked those who were twisting God's Word for their own self-aggrandizement. He butted heads with the religious and political leaders of the time, which led ultimately to dying on the Cross. Yes, Jesus lost His life, but He maintained His integrity and did not sin. The result was His ultimate defeat over death for us all evidenced in his resurrection.

We must remember Christ's example. The road we are called to walk as Christians is the same type of bitter cup that Christ underwent. Because we are asked to walk apart from the world, we will naturally undergo derision at our actions because we do not truly conform. For Christ, that led to the Cross; for us it can lead to many different trials.

In the end however, the Lord is sovereign over all, and our reward is assured and secured. We cannot lose even if we walk through troubling times that are temporarily difficult. More than any worldly gain that could be had through sinful associations, we stand to lose our souls to hell through compromises on God's Word. Is that a fair trade for a life of temporarily greater ease? -- For the devil will surely smooth our life's road if we would only forget the Lord.

Abram knew that God would grant him all that he needed for all of eternity as long as he remained faithful to Him. And that is the example that we need to remember always.

Lord Jesus, there will be many choices to make as I walk through this journey called life. Help me to make wise decisions that honor You, and to stay away from those who offer worldly gain that would cause me to fall away from Your path. Thank You for Your example to us. In Your name, AMEN.

The Bible Is Our Standard

¹² The LORD will indeed give what is good,
and our land will yield its harvest.

¹³ Righteousness goes before him
and prepares the way for his steps.

(Psalm 85: 12-13 NIV)

Sowing and Reaping. This is a law (Gal 6:7-9) that I have not heard much about in preaching, but it is one to keep in mind throughout our lifetimes. God promises us that we will reap the type of life that we sow.

As I ponder the law of sowing and reaping, this psalm gave me a hint as to the type of fertile ground that we must sow as Christians - righteous soil. We must become righteous soil in order to be properly used by the Lord to produce His fruit. Righteousness is a pretty confusing topic however, because there are so many conflicting viewpoints of what is right or wrong.

My wife loves tv court shows, and when I do watch them with her, I notice that the people there have a genuine confusion on what right and wrong really are. Many blatant acts of lying, stealing, cheating, and fornication are committed by unrepentant people who have a ready excuse as to why they are not liable for their obligations and responsibilities.

And that is the reason why we all need a standard. Without a specific standard to determine right and wrong, there is no real reference point to determine right living or righteousness. Fortunately for us, God has given us the definition of right and wrong in the Bible. He has provided us with a guideline for a happy life through the following of His ways.

When we apply this righteousness to our lives - not to condemn others, but simply to cleanse and improve ourselves - we become tools that He can use to bless others around us and fertile soil that will produce good fruit.

Lord Jesus, help me to become a man who is righteous soil for You to produce good fruit and blessings to others. Please correct me where I need improvement and help me to reap of lifetime of goodness and not wickedness. In Jesus' name, Amen.