"A moral life is a favored one..." ~ Prov. 14:9 MSG
What are morals? I will define it this way - it's using principles to determine what is right or wrong in any given situation. What do believe about sex outside of marriage? How do you view abortion - right or wrong? What do you think about lying? Do private sins only hurt and affect the persons doing them? Ethics? Sexual immorality? We could go on and on.
Let me say this - every continent, country, culture, people group, family and person is affected and exist by some moral or immoral standards. You just need to know that morality is not something that you or I can escape or hide from - they way we live shows whether or not we are morally pure.
I want to come at this from a Biblical view and be quick about it. There are other things that come into play that influence us, but I will only mention two things here - two things that create moral chaos in our lives and two things that develop moral purity in our lives.
THINGS THAT LEAD TO MORAL CHAOS...
1. Don't be SIMPLE-MINDED.
This is people, usually younger people, but not always - but this is people who have never learned to "think for themselves". They are like whoever they are around - circumstances dictate how they feel, what they do, and where they go. They are like thermometers that simply tell temperature of their surroundings. Simple-minded people simply don't think. If you ask them a question, they will usually respond with a "i don't care" or "what do you want to do". They just go with the flow.
They easily fall prey to new ideas, new fads, fresh excitement - good or bad. Another characteristic of simple-minded people is that when they are influenced in a powerful way by someone, they will automatically and fully accept that everything else about that person is also good and they usually end up trusting other people too much too fast.
Now, I am not trying to create or encourage a critical mind about everyone we meet because I firmly believe we should believe the best about people. What I am trying to do here is establish how simple-minded people live and why they lack good moral discernment. For example, a simple-minded person will very likely trust a great influential minister to the point that if that minister falls into some sin, they too will fall away from God.
Very simply put - they lack discernment. If they were a bird - they would be a sure thing for the bird trap. They will see the bait - but never "think" about why they bait is there. If they were a mouse - they would see and smell the cheese but never discern it's a trap that's gonna take there very life. They will never enjoy the cheese - but they will suffer the consequences! Proverbs 22:3 says it this way, "but the simple go on without thinking and suffer the consequences."
On another note, they lack the development of understanding. They hold no strong convictions. They have not yet learned to value truly important things and cannot comprehend how a few immoral choices will cost them everything!
2. Don't give in to the PRESSURE.
What's really going on when we experience peer pressure? When out with friends and pressured to cross a certain line or a boyfriend pressures you to go too far - why does someone give in? Isn't it because we want to be accepted and liked by others?!?! The truth is that we all want to be accepted and liked.
Now, what we fail to understand many times is that the real way to be liked is to make choices that please God. Over and over, the Scripture talks about those who found favor with God also found favor with people. This is the kind of favor that lasts - this is the right kind of favor - this is the right kind of acceptance with people.
THINGS THAT LEAD TO MORAL PURITY...
1. Surrender to LORDSHIP OF CHRIST.
(Judges 21:25) “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.”
According to the verse above, moral chaos was rampant in those days and so it is with us in our day and time. Like never before, truth is relative, and everyone is making up their own rules. We no longer change our lives to meet the standard of God's Word, but not it's acceptable to twist the Word of God to ease our sin-laden conscience and indulge in compromised living.
Somehow, our society has succeeded in creating a continual season of pleasure in sin. What we don't realize is that no matter what - we will reap whatever we sow!
Psalm 14:1 says, "The fool says in his heart, 'there is no God'". In the actual Hebrew rendering goes like this..."The fool says in his heart, 'NO GOD'". See the difference - it's not so much that the "fool" doesn't believe in the existence of God, it's that he emphatically does not want God! He is his own Lord - he wants no other. He will not accept anyone telling him what to do or where to go, etc.
Jesus is Lord whether we acknowledge him as Lord or not. But, the truth is that we will never find the grace and fulfillment for our lives outside of the Lordship of Jesus Christ. What we need to do is surrender to his Lordship in our personal lives. We must accept and yield to his Lordship. When we do, incredible power and purpose will flow into our lives like never before!
2. Live out your GOD-CREATED PURPOSE.
Proverbs 29:18 "Where there is no vision, there the people cast off restraints."
When we have a godly purpose for our life, we will live with moral standards. The POWER OF A VISION vanquishes the PRESSURE of COMPROMISE. I believe one of the reasons so many people today have compromised their morality is because they have lost, or never discovered, their God-given purpose!
Listen - everyone gets somewhere, but only a few people get somewhere on purpose. If you are going to accomplish anything great with your life, it won't happen by accident - it will require great purpose...God-created purpose! Purpose produces moral standards. Goals give us guidelines to live by. For example, once I determine I am going to visit Atlanta, Georgia - going west is no longer an option because I know I must travel east. Going south isn't an option either from where I start. The same is true when purpose fills our life - living anyway we want can't happen anymore.
Here's the bottom line - we help maximize our potential, make a difference with our life, and manage our own life when we live with strong, godly morals. Don't fritter away your only life.
"One life to live - and soon that will pass. Only what's done for Christ will last." ~Unknown
A life frittered away disgusts God; he loves those who run straight for the finish line. ~ Prov. 15:9
Live well,
jc
No comments:
Post a Comment