Heading Towards…

There is an old fable by Aesop about a donkey and its owner.

As a donkey was trotting along with his owner along a high road, he suddenly started off and ran to the brink of a steep cliff. While the donkey attempted to proceed over the cliff, his owner seized him by the tail, trying to pull him back. When the donkey persisted in his effort, the man eventually let him go saying, "If you must insist, you shall do so at your own cost."

The moral of the story: A strong-willed beast must go his own way, even if it means his own destruction.

I can't tell you how many conversations I've experienced where people freely share strong opinions about things they don't understand. It seems like everyone has an opinion (especially in this election season). Everyone has a philosophy of life. Everyone believes they are right in their own eyes. But precious few ask the really important question: "What does God really think about this?" or better, "What has God said about this?" Like the stubborn donkey, we want to go our own way. (Proverbs 14:12)

To some degree more than a few do ask these questions. Unfortunately, it is often in light of one's preconceived notions about God and His Word. On hot-button issues such as abortion, euthanasia, the death penalty, free speech, poverty, global warming, etc., we either come down firmly in one camp or the other. Some even choose to fall in-between. Many simply desire to be part of a tribe such as the right, left, moderate, African-American, activist, agnostic, religious, Christian, Muslim, etc. to feel a sense of safety. They will form their viewpoints based on their associations. Others, like the unreasoning donkey, will even use whatever feels right as guidance.

But none of that is the point.

Consider this. What if everyone is an object of God's wrath until they submit themselves to Christ? What if we are all enemies of God, until we become part of Christ's body on earth? What if all things are headed for sure destruction, except for those who believe? What if we are resisting God's rule, and all these issues are signs of our rebellion? What if our personal opinions are also a sign our rebellion against God? (Ephesians 2:1-5; 4:17-23; Proverbs 18:2)

Sometimes people make the mistake of prejudging the actions of God, by oversimplifying Jesus' mission. They conclude that since the motive of Jesus for coming was love, then what they believe about love is what is true about what Jesus did. In other words, many confuse what they believe Jesus did with what they believe about love. These people judge Jesus, God, and others by their own self-righteousness. They will decide what is right in their own eyes and make decisions about what is true as a result. (Unfortunately, they are unable to see that they are doing this.)

The time is now. We must decide for ourselves if we are going to settle of a half-conceived world-view. Who is willing to adjust what they believe is true, when God speaks? If we are determined to go our own way, God just might let us go saying, "If you insist, you shall do so at your own cost." (Romans 1:18-32)