John 16: 31 - 33 NKJV
I had a conversation this week with a coworker about the recent school shooting in Florida. In his mind, nobody except the military and law enforcement would ever need to utilize what has become known as "assault" weapons. Now, as a student of military history, I have a working knowledge of some of our modern weapon technology. While I don't know everything, I do know that a gun will not fire itself just as a car will not get drunk and then move on it's own. The issue we have with those among us who would take a weapon and kill as many people as they possibly can has never been a weapon technology issue. No, what we have here is a human issue. It's all fine and good to claim that weapons are evil in the wake of a tragedy such as a school shooting, but when the smoke clears there is but one underlying issue...and that issue is ourselves. In Genesis 4 we are told that a jealous Cain took a rock and killed his brother Abel. Note that Cain did not reach for a assault rifle to commit civilizations very first murder. AsI told my friend, this should be all of the proof we need to see that it has never been a weapon issue but a heart issue. What is it that triggered Cain to do violence against his brother Abel? Indeed, jealousy over hs own brothers station in life, we are told, ultimately led him to slay his brother. Unfortunately, very little has changed from the dawn of civilization until now. For it is still anger, greed, jealousy and hatred which often provoke us to cause harm to those around us. I haven't read all too much about the young man Nikolas Cruz who is accused of the Florida school shooting, but it seems that at some point he'd had enough of how he perceived that he was being treated. Now, I'll tell you that there have been MANY times in my own life where I felt mistreated, but I have never taken the life of another. Why is that? What seperates me from those who have taken the lives of others? Well, for one thing, it would seem that I know and respect the value of life. I also know that were I to succomb to my own feelings that all I have worked to accomplish will have been in vain. Does that mean that Jesus will cease to live through me? I don't believe that for a minute. No, it just means that I would have given in to a bad decision.
9In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
1 John 4: 9 -11 NKJV
When I was growing up it was a different time. The worst that I can recall the kids in the schools I went to doing would be a fist fight or two over a disagreement. Never in all of my years of attending school have I ever been in fear of one of my classmates bringing a gun to school for the purpose of killing. We just didn't settle out differences that way back then. So what is the difference between then and now? Some would say violent video games, pornography or television are to blame for the violent nature of today. I've been exposed to each of these and I've never fired a gun in anger against another. As I said, I believe that this is a heart issue and not a gun issue. The young man who shot his classmates in Florida was obviously hurting over something. In his mind, violence was the only way out of the pain he was feeling. If that opportunity had arrived where I would have had the opportunity to talk with him before that tragic day the first thing I would have asked him is "why are you hurting?" Obvioulsy something had motivated him to kill. Trust me, it wasn't the gun he used which caused him to do the deed. So where is it that we turn to when we feel as if we're at our last point? Who do we turn to when we're standing on the edge of that cliff? As for me, I can't ever remember praying to or worshipping a gun. No, I know very well who it is that I am. It is Christ Himself who now lives through me {Galations 2:20}. I didn't need to be hit over the head with a hammer for me to realize that I would have troubles in this life. Jesus Himself assures us of this {John 16:33}. Of course, I also know that I don't belong to the world but to Christ {1 John 4:6}. When we standing on the edge of that cliff, it is only Christ Jesus who will love us enough to pull us back.
5They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. 6We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
1 John 4: 5 - 6 NKJV
~Scott~
1 comment:
Yes, you may have found who you are but how do we help the "Cruz's" of the world find who they are?
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