Monday, March 21, 2011

Absolutely So!

It took several runs for me to grasp this lesson God was trying to reveal.  I knew it was a big one when it made me stop in mid-stride and squint my eyes and tilt my head in confusion.  I'm still not quite sure that I have attained all the knowledge He wanted me to learn from this one...it's really too deep for my mind to grasp and for my limited vocabulary to articulate.  I have prayed that God will express His thoughts and wisdom through my vocabulary...scary! 

I run on the back roads around my house and I love it because I get to see animals and experience nature in a way I would not otherwise experience if we lived in the city.  While I was running one particular day, I was looking at the trees and listening to the birds sing.  The wind was blowing slightly and it wasn't too hot, so the birds were quite happy that day.  Then, this truth hit me in the head like a sledgehammer.  Humans are quick nowadays to say that everything (your reactions, decisions, morals, etc.) depends on the situation at hand.  When questioned, we give advice like "You should do what makes you feel good; do what makes you happy" or "How you should have reacted to that person depends on the situation."  We also question morals and try to qualify when it's okay to sin.  For example, we may think "I don't know if I would steal medicine for my child or food for my family if we were desperate."  Others might question morals and situations that are more severe than that, but it comes down to this:  People try to improve the world by taking away absolute truth and morals, but in reality, that philosophy is destroying our world and society.  If there are no absolutes, how do we know where to draw the line?

The world, namely nature, doesn't work that way.  Everything in nature is on a cycle and it happens that way every day, month, and year.  It doesn't matter how much farmers want their crops to grow; if they don't prepare the land correctly, plant the crops at the right time, and nurture them appropriately, they won't grow.  It doesn't matter how much the farmer's family needs the food, the absolute truth is that if it didn't rain enough and he missed a step in his planting and harvesting, his family won't have food.  If I want to run a marathon or lose weight, it doesn't matter how I feel about accomplishing those tasks, if I don't train, eat right, and exercise, my body will not be prepared to run 26.2 miles or lose weight.

God is Truth.  His principles work and, whether or not we believe in the Almighty and Magnificent Creator, if we live according to His principles, we would produce better citizens and society would function a whole lot more smoothly.  If everyone really did meet someone else's needs before their own, then their own needs would get met in the process.

No comments:

Post a Comment