A Matter of Priorities

In the last several months I have become quite active in several chat rooms. As a Christian Patriot, I choose to visit and engage in discussions in chat rooms that share my values and my faith. In general, the discussions and conversations are conducted in a civil and respectful manner. But, like in any other aspects of life, there are always points of disagreement, and there is nothing wrong with that, except for the fact that most disagreements turn into harsh exchanges and to some degree, they become offensive.

We all come to the rooms with our own preconceptions, ideas and beliefs. We have been so accustomed to them, that any disagreement is considered a personal attack on the member, rather than on the idea or opinion. Agree to disagree is nothing more than an excuse to hold on to one side of an issue, while considering the other side wrong. It is quite frequent that several members in a chat room band together to attack an opinion with which they don’t agree, and if the holder of that opinion defends his or hers point of view, is being accused of trying to force their opinion on the others. Chat rooms become battle grounds, and no one is willing to acknowledge that he or she may be wrong.

And Christian chat rooms are no exception. Whether it is a theological or doctrinal issue or an interpretation of the current events, each person has its own set of standards and understandings that have become so ingrained in their beliefs, that anything contrary is considered a personal attack, even when clear proof is brought forth, especially from the Word of God, the Bible.

The state of fear and uncertainty that we live in today has caused many to openly or not, either deny clear teachings of the Bible or place a “reasonable” doubt regarding the validity of the Word of God in today’s world. I have heard Christians stating that what the Bible teaches is not always applicable today, because it was written in different time than the one we live in today.

Clear examples: “trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” is considered almost offensive. “How can I not lean on my own understanding? God gave me a brain to use it, so that’s what I am going to do, even if it means ignoring what the Bible teaches”. And this becomes a dangerous territory that will surely bring us to suffering and tribulations.

There is no middle ground in this: you either trust in God and live accordingly, or you don’t. God has promised to “never leave us nor forsake us”. Yet, many take it only as some nice words, but very unpractical, because we believe that we can do better without God. And then we stumble and fall and get hurt. And rather than acknowledging that we have sinned by not trusting in God, we find something or someone to blame for our failures.

How far should we trust God and when should we trust other things or other people or even our own perception of what is going on? Well, the answer is simple: you trust Him in everything or you trust Him in nothing. No middle ground, no grey areas.

Critics may say that such an attitude is a fatalistic one, that it implies just sitting and waiting for God to do everything. Nothing is farther from the truth. The Holy Spirit of God is an active presence in the heart and the mind of the believer, and He will always instruct us and guide us in the things that He wants us to do according to His will. Do we obey and follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit or we disobey and do things our way? The question can be answered by those who have taken things in their hands and have fallen.

There is suffering, there is pain, there is despair, there is uncertainty when we believe we can do better than God. Faith is being tested all the time, and if we leave in fear and anxiety is a sure sign that we did not pass the test. We cry out “why isn’t God doing something about this or that?” But we fail to realize that the consequences of our actions are a direct response to our lack of faith and our disobedience.

As I take yet another look at the Ten Commandments, I cannot help but notice the first one: “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me”. Why is this commandment so important that God put it in the top of the ten? Well, if we obey and follow the first, everything will fall into the right place. If we don’t, then everything else will fall apart. Including America. It’s a simple matter of priorities.