“The unjust conceives iniquity in his heart, there is no fear of God before his eyes. He is unwilling to see his sins forgiven, or to hate them. The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit, he is unwilling to do good. He devises mischief upon his bed, he walks in a way that is not good, that he may do evil.” Psalm 36:1-4 Lamsa translation .
Have you met him? How did it happen to him? Easy, he simply followed the way of a human being.
I saw this expression on a person’s sweatshirt:
“Be better Human Beings.”
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha… Forgive me for laughing. This person has likely adjusted their soul to our Psalm 36 man:
- alarm free-living
- “Consciousness of sin” free-living.
- “Hatred for sin” free-living.
- God free-living.
- Mischief > evil.
These do not understand the concept of “weight.” First, every person’s soul has a priority scheme and chart. What is highest, second, next, next, next? The measuring criterion is “weight.” Heaviest principles/concepts go on top, second heavy next, and next and next. Where does the weight get assigned? It is attributed to “value” and the Individual can pick and choose what is of highest value — to them!
As the natural man places his value on self-strength and above that of God, he eliminates God’s wisdom. He hangs on his own mis-estimating brand, which mis-calculates, masking the weakness of man without God. Thus the laughter at the well-meaning sweatshirt logo.
Becoming better humans can happen, but only where values change.
Another facet of “human “change enters.
Values, true or false, wise or imbecilic, clever or humble, gain strength by remaining at their priority-weight level over long periods of time. So, perseverance at anything will strengthen and energize that thing as hormones, nervous system, brain patterns, muscle strength etc. increase support. This phenomenon deceives a person into thinking the universe is in harmony with their plans and dreams.
But, this “harmony” of soul explains only that God allows every man to self-create. Yes, even themselves.
True Story:
Without the help of God, I successfully quit a bad smoking habit years ago, before I was a Christian. It cost me many a sleepless night, risk of drug addiction, loss of some dear friends, near loss of a job. I placed the quitting high on my priority scale. Dear friends and important things took a less-weightier posture and got some neglect. It was a challenge.
In John Bunyan’s “Pilgrim’s Progress,” Christian’s early companion, “Pliable” lasted but a short while on the journey. When the traveling companions fell into a bog, “The Slough of Despond,” “Pliable” gave up quickly and left Christian to travel alone.
The moral?
Our ability to maneuver, turn on a dime, roll with the punches, bend and contort is easier said than done. Frankly, the older we become, the less we desire the pain of change.
In closing, many godless folks correctly feel that to conjure up strength for change, some determination must be found. Sometimes this determination comes from a deep sense of self-preservation, to stay alive; other times it manifests in an emotional rebellion. Unfortunately, the mustering of “human” drive often drives a person farther from God.
In our perilous World, reverence for God, humble surrender, receiving simple help, allowing God to bring forgiveness; these are not popular, but are there as options to all.
My prayer is this: please allow people to weigh God in His rightful place. Creator and Judge of all things, HOLY AND ALMIGHTY, Gracious and Merciful — God. love ya
