Where do we begin!

Where do we begin!

An exclamation rather than a question.  The suggestion that somehow our maturing has brought us to a point in life that might have more questions than answers.  When the knowledge of God’s presence is a reality and the closer our intellect reveals to us we know less about his mercy than previously thought each of us finds how limited our understanding regarding our very need for forgiveness is.  

As human beings sin is a very real entity that began with the garden God created to be used.  When someone hands you or me a treasure and places only one restriction for its use, our initial thought becomes one of peeking to find why we are not to seek a “why.”  No doubt Satan just couldn’t resist the opportunity to test Eve and use her curiosity to go against the Will of God.  After all, if He created her in the image of Himself would He reject her innocent quest to look at the forbidden fruit?  

Enter the disobedience of man listening to Satan’s misleading guidance of being our own master without the need of God.  There is a word that explains this scenario, one that caused Satan and his followers to be thrown out of heaven; Pride!  Of all the Cardinal sins, pride is the most destructive to a human soul.  It is the most deceiving, covered over with signs of perfection and pleasure.  Unfortunately it is the one path from which many will cling to as they follow the road to perdition.  

What occurs after anyone chooses to ride the trolley towards sin without realizing what they have done is exactly what Adam and Eve did, and will become victims from the result of a crash.  This disaster may not allow first responders to reach us in time.  That is what can happen to an unwary person when pride becomes the number one attraction in life.

The disaster is not physical as in broken bones, it is the very tearing down of spiritual carnage from which there may not be a successful resurrection.  Only the grace from Jesus Christ will turn the fallen soul from suffering to a raised soul above pride.  

It has become too easy to fall into pride when any accomplishment appears to be our own endeavor without God.  This can lead us to exclaim our initiative was the total reason for success and very soon exclude the presence of God in all we do.  Certainly our efforts are important as we will use the talents God gives us.  But, as soon as we take all the credit 

Leaving Divine assistance on the shelf of life the sin of pride will almost assuredly take over.  When the Angel Lucifer felt his place was to take credit of a spiritual being and as good as God, or better, the sin of his pride rejected his place in heaven.  If we think that our giftedness is because of us, we shall be ejected, by our own choice, from which there is no return.

Answer to the statement above Where do we begin; Reject Pride and find the beginning of freedom from a disastrous path.  

Ralph B. Hathaway, June 2022