Heart and Soul

WRONG BELIEFS AND DEPRESSION:  A DEADLY MIX

by Mark Sutton
November 4, 2019

The young couple had traveled all the way from the United States to the country of Egypt.  After much research, they had discovered what purported to be ancient texts going back thousands of years.  Some said they contained dark ceremonies that involved Egyptian deities and wonderful powers, providing the right incantation was said in the right place at the right time of the year.  Finally, in the deep of the night, the man and woman avoided government authorities as they secretly made their way into the desert, surrounded by the darkened pyramids, the Sphynx, and the constantly shifting sands.  They climbed carefully to the top tower of a temple and then waited.  The brightness of the full moon proclaimed, according to the ancient texts, they were right on time.  The stars blazed with a clarity and brilliance they’d never seen before.  The couple felt energized by their desert surroundings. Finally, the darkness began to fade, and the couple could see Ra, the Egyptian sun god, peeking over the top of the pyramids. It was time. Mouthing the appropriate incantation, they locked hands and leaped off the tower . . . . 


“You’ve been late to your job the last nine days.”  The sergeant glared at the young private.

 She glared right back.  “That’s not my fault,” she retorted.  “I’m supposed to be at my post by 6:00 AM, and that’s just too early for me to get going and then be there on time. It’s not fair!  Plus, the KP duty you’ve saddled me with as punishment makes for a very long day.  Something has to change” . . . . 


The 18-year-old knocked on his boss’ door.  It was his first fulltime job.

 “Sir,” he began, “I know you said that I had to work most weekends, but I’m finding I don’t have as much time with my friends as I used to.  They’re going out partying, and I’m stuck here.”  

The boss shook his head.  “As I told you when you were hired, most of our business happens on the weekend. I’m sorry, but you can only have off one weekend in four, just like the rest of us.”  

The young man’s voice hardened as he heard the boss turn him down.  “Well, I’m not coming in this weekend.  I don’t’ care what you say” . . . . 


What do an 18-year-old in his first job, a private on KP duty, and a couple in Egypt all have in common?  They learned the hard way this law:  You are free to believe what you want to believe, but you are NOT free to escape the consequences.


As you’ve probably already figured out, the young couple fell to their death, despite their sincerity in what they believed.  The private discovered she would continue to get KP duty every time she was late, no matter whose fault she thought it was.  The 18-year-old immediately found himself without a job, despite believing he had the right to pick and choose when he wanted to obey the boss.

 
We hear it everywhere in today’s culture.  “I want to be free to believe whatever I choose – and I don’t want to face any consequences.”  I’m sorry to tell you this, but if this is a part of your belief system, you have fallen for a lie.  Consequences are a part of life.  


In Deuteronomy, Moses has brought the Israelites to the edge of the Jordan river.  He is ready to die and let Joshua bring them into the Promised Land.  After sharing with them a quick history of their being delivered from the hands of hostile, pagan nations who serve false gods, Moses says this:


“Beware lest there be among you a man or woman or clan or tribe whose heart is turning away today from the LORD our God to go and serve the gods of those nations. Beware lest there be among you a root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit, one who, when he hears the words of this sworn covenant, blesses himself in his heart, saying, ‘I shall be safe, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart.’ This will lead to the sweeping away of moist and dry alike.” (Deuteronomy 29:18–19, ESV) 


God repeatedly warns people in the Bible what will happen if they commit sins.  He is very clear concerning the consequences.  Why is it then that so many of us continue to practice those sins in the face of what God has said?  The phrase in the last part of the passage above says it all:

“I walk in the stubbornness of my heart.”  In other words, I know it’s wrong, but I want what I want, and no one has the right to tell me otherwise.” 


We need to learn that enthusiasm and sincerity are no substitutes for obeying God’s commands.  Proverbs warns us:

“There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way that leads to death.” (Proverbs 14:12, NET)

In other words, going to church on Sunday, then living as you wish the rest of the week is not acceptable to God, and it can ultimately destroy your life.  
What you believe DOES matter!  Not your emotions, not your culture, not the behavior of those around you – none of that can be the authority you use to determine what to think or what to do.  You must tie yourself to the word of God, no matter what.
When you do this, you’ll discover that obeying God’s word and living life according to His will produce great satisfaction in your life.  Obey God’s authority and respect the consequences of wrong actions and the rewards of right actions.  It will turn your life and your attitude around.


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