Skip to main content

THE REASON AND THE REAL REASON


  If I have learned anything in my life, it is that for most things we do we have two reasons. The reason we give and the real reason.

  The reason we give is the politically correct, well-reasoned, people pleasing response. It, however, isn’t always the real reason. Our real reason may be petty, or self-serving. We may have it but we can’t say it, so we come up with another reason for our action

  A great example of this occurs in 1st Kings:

 “Jeroboam said in his heart, "Now the kingdom will return to the house of David. If this people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will return to their lord, even to Rehoboam king of Judah; and they will kill me and return to Rehoboam king of Judah." So the king consulted, and made two golden calves, and he said to them, "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem; behold your gods, O Israel, that brought you up from the land of Egypt."
1st KINGS 12:26-28

  Jeroboam is fearful of losing his new power. He knows the connection The Lord has with the line of David. He fears his people making that connection. So he concocts a way to keep the people from worshiping the Lord in Jerusalem.

  However, that isn’t what he tells the people. It is for their convenience. These idols are as good as the commanded temple worship. He masks his self-interest in concern for his people.

  People still do this today. We don’t like a person put up for elder but we claim we oppose them for a pseudo scriptural objection. We say we can’t afford to give more but in reality, we rather spend it on ourselves. We claim an unauthorized practice will help the church to grow but really we just like it and want it to happen.

  Maybe we need to think of another reason, God’s reason. What we should be concerned with in our lives and in the church is, “Is this pleasing to God”? No matter what we feel or how we justify it, the rationale should focus on the will of God.  Jeroboam never considered it. Many still don’t when it comes to church politics. Yet it should the paramount in our reasoning process.


 What should be the real reason for our action?
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Mysterious Ways

    William Cowper didn’t see any reason to live.   He decided that he’d jump off the bridge over the Thames. So, he called a cab to take him there.   But that night in 1763, a thick fog enveloped London. It was so thick the cab driver couldn’t find the bridge and couldn’t even find the way to take William home. In frustration, he ordered the driver to stop and get out to get his bearings. He walked up to the nearest house to read the number and it was William's house. Gone now were William’s thoughts of suicide and instead a new idea came into his head. So, he went in and wrote these words: God moves in mysterious ways His wonders to perform. He plants his footsteps in the sea And rides upon the storm.  You fearful saints, fresh courage take; The clouds you so much dread Are big with mercy and shall break In blessings on your head.     I sometimes wish we could see all the ways God watches over us when need it. There are...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Gift You Give Yourself

    I always hated buying gifts for my Mom. If I got her something like a new set of pans, it was like saying “Here’s something you can use to go make me something to eat”. A gift for her was seemingly a gift for me.   There are however gifts you give that benefit you more than the receiver. For example, forgiveness. When you give it, you are giving it to yourself as much as you are giving it to them. Jesus said that when we forgive others it means God is forgiving us our wrongs (Matthew 6:14-15).  I once read: “ Heaven is where everyone's forgiven. Hell is where nobody's forgiven.  So, when we forgive we pull heaven down into our lives.  When we withhold forgiveness, we pull hell up into our lives ” Give yourself something nice today, Forgive.
Post a Comment
Read more

Canned Faith

  As Dale Jenkins wrote: “Faith is a little like paint. As long as it’s in the can, it isn't much. Left in the can long enough a gallon of paint will ruin. Faith left unpracticed and unexercised will too….  You can’t just talk about faith.  To be effective, you must be living it out. So take the paint out of the can and start painting.”   The Bible says in James 2:18,”  But someone may well say, "You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works . " Faith is something that only works when it is used. If our faith doesn’t do anything, is it really there at all?   Truly “ living by faith ” isn’t just a proclamation we make but one we live in how we walk and talk, how we live and interact, and what we say but also what we do.  Is our faith canned? Is it something we have if we go looking for it? Or is it something that is being used daily in our lives?   Does your faith color eve...
Post a Comment
Read more