“Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are My disciples.” John 13:35
Do you ever wonder why? You know, one of the most important, and dare I say essentials, in my life is my belief in God. I have written many times how I am a pretty simplistic guy and I guess that is one thing that makes it easy for me to believe in God. It seems that no matter where I look I see evidence for God. On the other side of the coin as hard as I look I just can’t find a good reason not to believe in Him. Which leads to my thought for today. Why is it so hard for so many to believe and trust in God?
Well, get ready for an ouch. I think it might be us. I am fearful that too often we are too inconsistent with the God stuff in our lives. Too often it seems were are saying one thing and living another. A saying from decades ago says, “We have met the enemy and he is us.” The saying comes from Walt Kelly, a cartoonist who worked as a Disney animator before launching “Pogo” in 1948.
True historians may recognize it as a play on a famous quote by U.S. Navy Master Commandant Oliver Perry during the War of 1812, written in a letter to Major General William Henry Harrison: “We have met the enemy and they are ours.”
Both quotes hold powerful truths that we can and should have the courage to face. Yes, in many ways, we can be our own worst enemies—and that true in many ways and areas of lives. It is definitely true in the church world. Jesus said that the world would know we were Jesus people by our love. Ask yourself, “How evident is Jesus’ love in your life and in your church?” Jesus didn’t say loving was easy but as Bob Goff said in a devotion, He did say it would work. Nice.
So what do you do with the “not easy” part? Well, the quote from 1812 helps us here. It says, “We have met the enemy and they are ours.” What does that mean. Commandant Perry was saying that the battle had been fought and won. And when we put this battle, the battle to love like Jesus, in the hands of Jesus—we will win.
If you are one of those who are still struggling to buy into the God thing, if you are one of the ones who has simply seen to many inconsistencies to believe, here’s a thought. Blaise Pascal, the famous French philosopher, physicist, and mathematician, said, “Belief is a wise wager. Granted that faith cannot be proved, what harm will come to you if you gamble on its truth and it proves false? If you gain, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing. Wager, then, without hesitation, that He exists.”
Wow—I like that a lot. Believe—if it all proves false, you lose nothing. Choose not to believe and if it is true (and I totally believe it is) you will lose everything. Please don’t let the inconsistencies of Jesus followers keep you from believing. After all, none of us are perfect.
So whether you are on the verge of believing or whether you are a Jesus follower—remember this. The faith to believe and the strength to love like Jesus loved doesn’t come from us—it comes from Him. He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne
Grits with Grace 