There are times during our year where we start to reflect on where we are, and what went right, and what went wrong.
In the last few weeks, many people have said to me: ”How did we end up here… again?!”
So I asked God about it, and got stuck on two verses.
First was the clarification:
“… for seeing the visible, makes us understand the invisible…”
(Roman 1:20 TPT)
And then the comparison:
“Or do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness, forbearance and patience, not realising that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?
(Romans 2:4 NIV)
Did you catch that? It took me a while to grasp the severity of the significance of God’s character here… let me break it down:
The visible, what we see and perceive, helps us to understand the invisible, the spiritual truths and laws that God has put in place to govern our world.
God is showing us, speaking through any means possible, so that we can have understanding.
Paul speaks to the Romans, and starts off early with harsh words!
“They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy.”
(Romans 1:29–31 NIV)
Strife, Anger, Murder, Malice… Greed.
But how did that develop?
Lets step back , because Paul gives us an answer there too: Sexual Sin
“Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.”
(Romans 1:24 NIV)
You can see the link if you work back to front. If you start with the end result and look for the source.
But Sexual Sin is quickly defended (what we do in the privacy of our own home between consenting adults doesn’t hurt anybody)
Actually, what it does is, it normalises sin. Softly, and gently, under the guise of love and pleasure. But once some sin is normal, the rest follows the path laid out…
But we can step back further still… Paul says: “God gave them over.” What came before?
“Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools”
(Romans 1:22 NIV)
What is Paul talking about?
Idols.
The people knew God, saw His works every day, but decided to step away from Him and rather worship, rocks, stones, streams and figurines carved from wood.
Foolish people! Luckily we know better…right?
Luckily we do not idolise our cars, our looks, our bank accounts. We do not build altars at our office desks and spend time worshipping our Social Media stars? Do we go to gym for fitness? Or just a bit of vanity?
Remember the joke about the older gent in the gym asking the instructor which machine he must use to attract the attention of the gym-bunny over there? And the instructor responds: “Best bet is the ATM outside…”
When our focus shifts from God and His ways, we start down a path so close to the truth, that we can’t distinguish the difference… but it slowly veers away ever further until one day, it hits us like a lightning shot, we can’t seem to see God anymore.
See… it’s much clearer when we work from the back, isn’t it?
But this God’s character: He never stepped away from you.
He didn’t give up on you, he allowed you to get to a point where the difference is overwhelmingly clear! Where without a doubt, you will recognise: I am NOT O.K.!
“…realising that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?”
(Romans 2:4 NIV)
Acts Chapter 2, the crowds became so convicted, they were crushed by their burden, the realisation. They shouted out: “What must we do!?” And Peter replied:
“Repent and return to God”
(Acts 2:38 TPT)
You can look at the world and know it is true, and then you can look at your own life and compare… and know it is true.
Sit down with a cup of coffee, and think for a minute.
What is the most important thing in my life?
And then… how focussed will I be in thoughts and actions on that most important thing today?
Maybe the cup of coffee can turn into a quiet conversation with our Father…?
