Friday, September 06, 2013
Conveniently Forgotten
"Oh, I
forgot," explained the teen to his father. "You told me to mow the
lawn before going to my friends house but I guess it slipped my
mind." That kind of forgetting
does sometimes legitimately occur. But far more often one conveniently
forgets. It is our way of conning
ourselves into believing our actions are excusable.
This human
trait is well-documented and often acknowledged. Here are a few observations
from well-known sources:
-
“The human brain is a complex organ with the wonderful power of enabling man to find reasons for continuing to believe whatever it is that he wants to believe.” ― Voltaire
- “Of all the liars in the world, sometimes the worst are our own fears.” ― Rudyard Kipling
- We run carelessly to the precipice, after we have put something before us to prevent us from seeing it. --Blaise Pascal
- "The greatest deception men suffer is from their own opinions." Leonardo da Vinci
I am
wondering if one of the most "conveniently forgotten" truths
throughout history is the truth that God made all things, thereby making Him
the rightful King of the universe.
Mankind pretends to forget this "little detail," because embracing
it would force him to alter his life choices.
But, just as in our example of a forgetful teen, willfully ignoring
something doesn't make it go away. The
only one deceived is the one choosing to ignore the Creator and all of His
handiwork, which declares His glory on a daily basis.
I,
personally, find it very freeing to look at the world honestly; admitting that
an almighty God made all things and is overseeing it all. Several thousand years ago our Creator
"robed Himself in flesh" and dwelt among us" so that we could be
a part of His eternal kingdom. According
to the Bible, very soon Jesus will return to take His rule of the earth to a
whole new level. It is self-deception
that will rob many people of their place in that Kingdom.
This is how
St. Peter said it: "First off, you need to know that in the last days,
mockers are going to have a heyday. Reducing everything to the level of their
puny feelings, they'll mock, "So what's happened to the promise of his
Coming? Our ancestors are dead and buried, and everything's going on just as it
has from the first day of creation. Nothing's changed." They conveniently
forget that long ago all the galaxies and this very planet were brought into
existence out of watery chaos by God's word." (2 Peter 3:3-5 MSG) The New Living Translation translates it this
way: "They deliberately forget that God made the heavens by the word of
his command,"
My appeal is
not to the skeptic nor is it to those who want to define their own version of reality. My appeal is to those who have true faith in
an Almighty God. It has been a long time
since He promised to return, but He is still making good on His promises. He is still forgiving, healing people's
bodies and emotions, and demonstrating His power in many other ways. Choose to remember your Creator. Choose to make Him your Lord and Your
God. It is the path to true freedom from
sin, falsehoods, and the foolish and arrogant path of self-deception.
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]
