Grown Up Believing…Not Gonna Happen to Me!

As I was growing up, I was taught a great deal of “Biblically-based truths” that I discovered later in life to be totally false and untrue. As I look back, I have come to discover that too often we believed everything the pastor was saying without searching the Scriptures for ourselves for the truth. As I have continued to study this phenomenon, I have also come to discover that the propogation of these unScriptural truths has resulted in a great deal of people abandoning the church. Even today, when I hear individuals utilizing these common lies and deceptions to try to swerve their kids and grandkids into doing something or being something more, I find myself grieved in my spirit.

The simple truth is, we are a lazy people when it comes to reading and understanding GOD’s Word for ourselves. We would much rather have someone teach and preach it to us and just believe that what they are saying is all truth. The result is exactly what I spoke about above. You end up with a generation of people that have no idea what GOD’s Word really says and so they are easily swayed by any teaching they hear. I much prefer to know the Word so when untruths are taught, I recognize it immediately.

How many of you remember being told this: “God want give you more than you can handle?” Heard it time and again and still do….Certainly, there is a bit of truth in the statement as we know that GOD does not dish out problems and complications upon us. We are living in a world that is under the dictate of the god of this world and it is he who dishes it out. However, the idea implied still stands that GOD’s children will not have to endure any difficulties in this life and that is simply wrong as we can search the Scriptures and observe what is happening to believers around the globe and know how untrue that statement really is.

Paul wrote of this in his own life when he said: “For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself” (2 Corinthians 1:8). Apparently, Paul was so heavily afflicted that he went so far as to despair of life itself. Now, let me state something here that truly bothers me and that is when Christians today get this idea that they are somehow better and their lives are somehow beyond that of the apostles. Even though it happened to them, GOD is not going to allow it to happen to me. GOD wants me happy and blessed beyond measure always. Hogwash!!!

What we need to learn straight-up is the fact that all of life in this fallen world for a believer is beyond what one can handle. We do not have to go it alone and we shouldn’t even try. The god of this world is out to get us and in our own strength we are unable to make it. We need the LORD beside us at all times. We need the SPIRIT of the Living God dwelling within us, working through us. We need to lay our lives at His feet and allow Him to guide and direct our every step. The LORD beckons to us with these words: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Why? Because He understands that we need Him to endure all the hardships that life will throw at us so in the end we can stand firm!