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Anyone who knows me knows I am a voracious reader. I seem to always have a book in my hand. At present I am reading three books at the same time. One is next to my recliner, one is in the Blazer, and one is next to the couch. Terry is often confounded as to how I can keep track of what I am reading and what is going on, but I do. I know Adam likes to read, too, and reads some the same books I do. Robert Jordan is one. Another author I like is Terry Goodkind. He writes fantasy books and is a master at keeping you turning pages.
While the books deal with wizards and the battle of good vs. evil, there is something I have kept track of in his books. The first book is called "Wizard's First Rule". Brief synopsis here... Richard saves a woman from a Death Squad, finds out that he is the hidden brother of an evil tyrant, an old friend is the First Wizard and also hid grandfather, and his evil brother wants him dead. He also finds out he is a powerful wizaed himself. Zedd, his grandfather, who is on the side of good, tells Richard that there are Wizard's Rules. The first one is this:
"People will believe a lie either because they want it to be the truth, or are afraid that it truly is a lie."
I got to thinking about this one night on my way to work. I thought about it at work and all the way home. What was bothering me? The fact that that "Rule" is also a "Truth".
How often do we delude ourselves in to believing what WE want to be true and not what GOD tells us? And for no other reason than we don't want it to be true. And it doesn't have to be anything big. We often do this with the smallest things. And we justify it with the reasoning that God couldn't possibly want it to be that way. Case in point......
One Sundat morning on my way home I was listening to 88.3 Spirit FM out of Lynchburg. There was a commercial that came on for a church in Roanoke and what I heard alarmed me greatly and illustrated that "Rule". They had various members telling why they liked that church and why everyone needed to come there. Here are a few of the comments....
"I like this church because they don't tell me all that stuff about man being sinful. They tell me God loves me and they build me up......."
"They accept me no matter what my lifestyle is and assure me God accepts me regardless...."
"Unlike other churches I have been to, I feel comfortable here because I don't have to make any major changes in my life. God loves everyone and I am good as I am, warts and all."
The more I thought on this the sadder it seemed. Here is a church that is telling people that they don't need to worry about their sin, if they are living a sinful life God will understand and overlook it, and they are good no matter what they do. How sad......
Why are they believing this? Why do they accept this church? I believe it is because they don't want to hear God's truth.
3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
People have to accept that they are sinners and accept that truth. They do not want to admit they are sinners. Truth hurts sometimes, doesn't it?
Sad thing is, I do it too. How many times have I done this? Too many if truth be told. The sinful man in me doesn't want to face that just because I want something to be true because it is a good idea, God may not think so. I fall into that "Rule". I believe it and want it because I want it to be true, or I am afraid that it isn't. I know that this may be hard for some people to wrap their mind around, but if you stop and think about it, it makes perfect sense.
So, what are you believing in today? Are there things in your life you believe because YOU want them to be true? Or are you afraid they AREN'T true? Even Peter believed he would never deny Christ......
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