“Don’t make PERMANENT decisions based on TEMPORARY emotions or conditions.” I wrote this in my notes over a year ago and thought about it every week. Even though the quote originated from an ancient philosopher, we encounter the principle throughout scriptures. Ministers and Christian writers have adapted and applied it for years in sermons and Christian messages. If there is ever a time that we need to consider this teaching, it is now in this age of uncertainly. Think about all the emotions you have experienced and seen others face in the past year. How many people do you know that recently have made a terrible decision?
The most disturbing and widespread emotion I’ve seen has been hate. Never in my lifetime have I witnessed so much hatred. Not a day has gone by in just our state that the headlines don’t start with stories about somebody killing somebody over a trivial argument, or a drive-by shooting or a person filled with hate fires shots into random houses of people they don’t even know. But the hatred does not stop at a local level. State leaders hate other state leaders. And the epicenter of hate has become Washington, DC. I’m not making a political statement but expressing the reality of our situation. Worst of all is where hatred leads. Last week, while watching an old cowboy show, I told my wife the closing line best sums up our current condition; “Hate can blind a person and they can no longer see truth.” Scripture verifies this; The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God (2 Corin 4:4 NIV). Satan blinds men attempting to stop God’s plans. He hates God because he is absolute darkness and the Lord is light; because God is truth, but the devil is a liar and no truth is found in him; and Satan is filled with pride and wants to be God.
The devil and his host of demons are using people to accomplish his attempts to destroy the Lord. Paul warned us our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places (Eph 6:12). Probably, all of us at some point have felt like James and John, who asked Jesus if they could call down fire from heaven and consume the Samaritans who rejected Him. But Jesus turned and rebuked them for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them (Lk 9:54-56). The people of Samaria weren’t the source of the problem, they were tools being used by Satan. In Jesus’ final discourse He told his disciples, If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you (Joh 15:18). Later Paul reminded the church at Corinth, For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses (2Co 10:4). Our struggle today is not against people, but we are engaged in a spiritual war but realize the Holy Spirit provides divinely powerful weapons.
Making decisions is a part of everyday life. Some are temporary and others are permanent. We know that spiritually bind individuals make a lot of poor decisions. However, even believers can struggle with their emotions because of the surrounding circumstances and make decisions that can lead them to spiritual blindness. Christians must ground themselves in the Word and make sure any decision is based on the truth of the Bible and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We must not abandon those who are spiritually blind and full of hate. Jesus told us, “You are the light of the world . . . Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven (Matt 5:14-16). We will gain victory by letting our light shine into the darkness. However, the world can’t see our light if we hide it under a basket. Jesus makes us light that should be put on a lampstand, so it gives light to all.
Come against hate with love. Love is always stronger than hate. Come against darkness with your light and the light of God’s word. “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that” (Martin Luther King, Jr). “Hate, it has caused a lot of problems in the world, but has not solved one yet” (Maya Angelou). Pray for those who are spiritually blind that the scales would fall from their eyes as Ananias prayed for Saul, who was both physically and spiritually blind. He prayed and immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales. He regained his sight and was filled with the Holy Spirit (Act 9:18).
Sustaining Word for the Week: Make a permanent decision today—commit your life to Christ, let your light shine into the darkness, overcome hate with love, use your divinely powerful weapon to destroy fortresses, and pray for the spiritually blind.