BARKING UP THE WRONG TREE

(Note: the last post called "Two Trees" gives context for this piece.)


Eve eyed that delightful fruit and reasoned... "wellll, it looks good to me".  Then she grew bolder as she decided she had a RIGHT to eat...before concluding "God must not have my highest welfare in mind... yes... that's it...God can't be trusted.  I don't care what He said; He's such a killjoy."

Oh, EVE!  Listen to yourself, Honey!  When Eve and her husband fell, they chose their wisdom over God's.

Today we face an election with polarized sides.  The positions couldn't be more clearly spelled out.

1.  One side wants abortion rights.  John Piper draws a bridge from abortion to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in this amazing POST.   If there is intellectual curiosity about this issue, the link makes either text or video available.

2.  One side wants the redefinition of marriage.  There are high and holy reasons to protect marriage as set out by God...and surely the highest reason is that it represents an earthly picture of Christ and His church.  Is it our place to redefine what God has planned?

3. One side has already demonstrated corruption in regard to religious liberty.

Liberty is a spiritual desire born in every heart.  As we taste America's political freedom (unique among the nations because we're a country based on an idea of God's principles) we get a thirst for spiritual freedom.  If the Son sets your spirit free, you are really free.

In a country where our law as come to allow abortion (and in a few states, same sex marriage)... people of faith have worked within the system to change hearts about the issues.

Now enter this administration.  Week One saw initiation of the export of abortion funds around the globe.  Next came the HHS mandate spending the faith community's dollars for something that breaks God's heart.  Now the church has unwilling compliance in unrighteousness both at home and around the world.  And American institutions which hold to God's word have had to sue their own country to get religious liberty.

SO WHAT?
There are some well-intentioned people who align themselves with redefining marriage...and believe it is right to pay for abortion services.  But as Grandmother used to say "you don't do wrong to do right".

Demanding rights, redefinition, and restriction-free living are all from an ancient story.  We're barking up the wrong tree again.  Do we not see that we will get what we've asked for?  Can we expect God to turn His head when these issues are so stark?  Don't reason like Eve and demand your rights.  You have a gracious heavenly Father who set out a plan to cause you to flourish.  Life goes better when we do it His way.

America needs God's blessing desperately, but we have to be in a place that allows Him to bless us.  It's time to choose God's wisdom.  Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness...