One Choice… So Many Excuses

I hear a lot of reasons why people choose not to believe in God, but what it all boils down to is a choice–to believe in the created or to believe in the Creator.

Some have been hurt by the church. Some have seen “believing” parents abuse them at home or act unChristlike outside the church. Some have experienced devastating loss & can’t imagine God to be good because of it. Some want to believe what they want, contrary to God’s Word, & so try to push Him away. Some think they’re a “good enough” person as they are & therefore they don’t need Jesus. Some want at least perceived control over their own lives… their own destinies… with their own view on how that ought to be. Some think because they can’t see, feel, hear, etc. Him, they don’t want to believe in Him.

But whatever your reason… whatever your excuse… it all comes down to a choice. Me… or Him.

Who Is God? Not Me!

I would argue this to be an extremely easy choice, aside from pride, no matter what your views of God or His Word may be, because anytime you assert to know more than the very One Who MADE you (+ your brain) & everything else… WITHOUT your help… well, it just sounds sort of foolish at that point, doesn’t it? I’m sorry if that offends you, but sort of in a sorry, not sorry sort of way… because, well, it is what it is.

I love this little verse that USED to make me so uncomfortable, back when I misunderstood what it was saying: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” (Proverbs 9:10) Why? Because it’s a reminder that if you want to make a wise choice, you ought to start with the source–GOD. And understanding that if ANYONE were to know, it would be all-knowing GOD.

An understanding that HE is God… & I am NOT.

So, basically, whether I agree with Him or not… does not make Him any less GOD or any less Creator or any less in charge as King of kings & Lord of lords. He is still God & still has the final say, whether I like that, want to believe it, or whether I reject it completely. Doesn’t change facts.

What Is Really at the Root of Your Rejection of God? And Where Will That Get You When All Is Said & Done?

Stop believing your excuses for your rejection of God!

If the church hurt you? Well, surprise! They’re human. They’re not God. And anyone, read that ANYONE who takes their eyes off truth or Christ for a single moment is going to act just so… as a HUMAN. They may represent God, but that doesn’t mean they’re doing a good job at it. Would you want someone blaming you for something your family did just because you’re family?

Same with family acting one way at church or claiming belief in Jesus, while being abusive or contrary to Scripture away from church. HUMAN. They are NOT living the way God instructs them to live–don’t blame God for their chosen disobedience.

Loss? Devastating, heart-wrecking loss? I get it. Really. I struggle with depression & have been through such excruciating seasons that lasted for YEARS & felt they would NEVER END. It’s so easy to doubt God’s goodness when pain just will not stop. But let me tell you something. We live in a world broken by sin. We live in a world where we see & very much feel the consequences of sin, GROANING for heaven & relief from it at times. God allows the consequences of sin to play out. But He is the hope IN IT. Don’t push Him away out of anger… pull closer to Him & ALLOW Him to be your strength, comfort, & healing in & through it.

God Is the Answer to What You’re Searching For… Even If You Can’t See That Right Now

Mad at God for His many “rules”? Think of yourself as a little toddler, mad because your parent won’t let you touch the glowing red, pretty stovetop because you don’t know better. Now imagine yourself as an adult, hearing what God says no to. It is the same. Maybe not immediate, but the hurts WILL come… God knows… God says no.

You think you’re good enough on your own? I’m sorry, but don’t fool yourself here. You know deep down you are not self-sufficient. God is absolute purity & perfection & holiness. He cannot be in the presence of anything less. So, would that describe you? If not… sorry… you’re not good enough. BUT, the GOOD news is that God made provision for you because He loves you & doesn’t want to be apart from you—He sent JESUS. (John 3:16-17)

Want to control your own life? Sorry to burst your bubble, but God, in His infinite wisdom, reminds us of one harsh reality—we will always be a slave to something. Either to the world, or to Him. The world will destroy you… He will infuse LIFE into you. Which sounds better?

Of All the Things… He Is More Real to Me Than It All… It All Comes Down to a CHOICE

Are you worried that because you can’t see, hear, feel, etc. Him, you can’t believe Him to be real? Don’t you understand that that as just another excuse you tell yourself to live the way you feel you want to? It doesn’t hold up. Because I know, deep down, you CAN feel Him. You feel Him there, beckoning gently to come home.

Look around you & you will see the evidence! It’s overwhelming!

I love the quote from the Case for Christ movie, based on the book by the same name by Lee Strobel. He fought to disprove Jesus Christ because it made him feel offended & threatened that his wife felt she needed more than him when she trusted on Jesus.

And after all of his evidence gathering, more & more solidifying happened that, if anything, he could only prove Christ true… but he still could not get himself to believe after all that. And I think it was his wife’s character in the movie that explained it like this, “because… of all the things I can hear & taste & touch & smell & see… somehow, some way… Christ feels more real to me than all of that. So, how can I deny Him? It all comes down to a choice… will you believe?” Will you believe?

Will You Choose to Believe??

“Seek the Lord while He may be found,
Call upon Him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.” (Isaiah 55:6-7)

“… for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” (Romans 3:23)

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

“… that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

Stop Believing Your Excuses for Your Rejection of Jesus Christ

No matter your excuse, it all boils down to this: What will you choose?

Will you choose death? Or will you choose life? Will you choose destruction? Or will you choose HOPE everlasting? Will you choose trusting flimsy human SELF? Or will you choose trusting infinite, almighty God, Who gave His own Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the debts (in FULL) that your life of self has earned you?

You can call it whatever you want. You can justify it however you want. God is not fooled. A heart that says “me & my ideals first” is a heart that rejects the One Who made it & gave everything for it.

Turn to Him… Find LIFE

Life is hard & will remain to be hard as long as we, as humans, exist in it… because we disobey God’s “nos” & reap the consequences of that, even as collateral damage sometimes.

But God sent Jesus into this world so that we many find LIFE. (John 10:10) We give up seeking life our own way & trust Him… where we FIND it. (Matthew 16:25) So, He could be our Comforter, our Friend, our Helper, our Savior, our Father, our GOD. Because God can trump ANYTHING else… can overcome ANYTHING… can save us from ANYTHING… even ourselves.

Shine HOPE by giving up on the chain of excuses, letting them drop & shatter on the floor, & run into the arms of your forever waiting Lord & Savior, JESUS CHRIST.

Coming Next Week

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Joyful Resilience Necklace–INDIA

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