I breaks my heart to read about these children and how people can deliberately choose to be cruel. They can be. It's like what in the world happens to peoples brains/hearts sometimes?
The lad and I read the paper together in the morning and he'll often point to pictures and ask "what's this mom?" And if it's appropriate or I can find a way to tell him (since he's seven he doesn't need to KNOW everything about everything) we then talk about it. Yesterday the paper had a right up about Cliff Olsen. The lad asked "WHY mom? Why did he hurt children and not cats, dogs or some wild animals"?
I told him , "lad, you know how sin is in the world and how people don't want to listen to God? Well, sin can make people's brains and minds wrong. That's the bottom line. We all do bad things, just some things seem more bad'.
Our conversation went on from there to reading biblical truth such as the verse telling us "For we all have sinned and fallen away from God". It is biblical truth. It's biblical truth that is doesn't matter if I kill someone physically, or if I hurt them emotionally, or if I'm a thief, a liar, a person giving into my own bodily wants outside of marriage, a murderer, a drunkard or whatever. It DOES NOT MATTER. it's all wrong.
Sin is SO pervasive in society that often times people don't see it for what it is?
It's just a way to run away from God and NOT run towards him.
It's all just at the basis of it a selfishness...of saying that what I think, feel, want is MORE IMPORTANT then simply loving God and trusting him.
I have my own sin struggles. I LOVE having my own way. I've got a temper. A draw to the computer where I could happily spend hours shutting myself away. BUT GOD himself calls me to more important things than my own wants and desires. He calls me to him where I do find my true needs. Loving him. Not shutting out the world. Loving my family. Caring. Teaching. Sharing. He is the one who draws me out and says live this life that I have given you.
I must remember these verses: Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. (Romans)
And so I must needs learn to be grateful. Loving. Caring. Open. I must needs respond to the call he has on my life.
I MUST NEEDS not lose myself to the sin that pervades my life. I must not. Because he CALLS ME and COMMANDS me to MORE THAN THAT.
for he says: "Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." (1 Peter 1:13-16)
Who will you respond to his call on your life?
Will it be to teach, share, write, adopt, or??? What is the call he has? Will you trust him more than you trust yourself?