Mar 26 2009
With Our Heads in the Sand…
We all have our blind spots, don’t we? But there are also times when we are vividly aware of the truth, but would rather not be. And in that case, we simply pretend it isn’t so. A little like a baby who hides his eyes and thinks you can’t see him.
In fact, I met a man the other day and asked if he’d ever seen a million-dollar bill, (offering him a gospel tract) and he shook his head. But then he said, “Oh, no. Those things are too scary.” If he hadn’t seen one, just how did he know it was scary?
I thought about that for some time and realized we often put off dealing with issues that are simply too hard to face when we should instead be running as fast as we can to remedy the situation. Isn’t it better to be prepared than to wish we had?
Remember the old saying, “Never put off until tomorrow what you should do today?” Well, it’s true. You don’t have to be a genius to know the consequences are dire when you don’t pay your mortgage, car payment or light bill. You also know that if you don’t go to work, you won’t keep a roof over your head. The truth is, bad things happen when we avoid dealing with issues we should face head on.
The same is true of the spiritual realm. Heaven and hell and the devil are very real, and they must be taken into consideration if we want a positive outcome. There’s no other way to say it. We can’t make it go away by denying the truth of the Bible, merely pretending consequences don’t exist.
We can’t dabble in pornography or the occult and not open the door to satanic activity that will ultimately bring us to ruin. We can’t be unfaithful to our spouses without risking our most precious relationships. This is such a basic issue that it’s essential we “get it” before we lose everything. And not just physically but spiritually as well.
Proverbs 1:7 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
Jesus is our model, the only perfect human being who ever lived, and even He refused to play with fire or duck the crises that frightened Him–like death on the cross. He often made a point of saying we should be wise as serpents but harmless as doves, that we should arm ourselves, ready for spiritual battle, and not be taken unawares. Our wise and loving Father wants to equip us to win every battle.
He promises to fight for us, but we actually render Him powerless when we refuse to deal with reality. It’s true. He can’t do a thing until we admit our sinfulness and face facts. We actually empower Him to help us when we admit the truth and listen to voice of the Holy Spirit, arming ourselves with the Word of God, and letting Him lead us in the way of wisdom. I believe we’re going to need to have grasped this concept more than ever as time goes on.
So let’s be part of the solution instead of being part of the problem, by pulling our heads out of the sand and putting away the old things, living as those transformed into new creatures in Christ. As though our God is the Answer to every question, because if we as believers are not able to stand, how will we help those who desperately need to hear the gospel?
I pray that we face reality before it’s too late. God help us all. Amen.
