You think you're misunderstood!

Not that long ago, I was complaining to the Good Lord that I feel misunderstood. His tongue in cheek reply to me boiled down to “You think you're misunderstood? Buddy you ain't seen nothing. What about all those obnoxious religious types who say they represent me but don't? What about all the self righteous hypocrites who claim to speak for me but don't even know me? What about all the blame, all the bad mouthing I get when things go wrong, all the false accusations all the nasty things people say and think about me? You think you have a problem. My son, you ain't seen nothing.”

Jesus tells us that there is a thief, that he has an agenda and it is to kill steal and destroy. He is also a liar and the father of lies. He seems to have two strategies: In the West he seems to want to persuade us that he does not exist. Our African brothers and sisters on the other hand, know well that he does, and that he likes to display his power both to fascinate and to induce fear!

His strategies seem to be very effective. When things go wrong we need someone to blame. In the West it is either God or those who believe in Him, or it's the other buddy. Don't get me wrong, we are by and large far from guiltless. As I pointed out the other day, the default is to blame anyone but ourselves. Part of this is that we listen to the father of lies, are deceived by him and so unconsciously do his bidding. And part this, is our widespread rejection of the guidance that God has given us in the Book He inspired.

There is a Biblical principle that we reap what we sow. If we plant potatoes we don't get carrots. Our rejection of the moral laws of the Universe have unwanted consequences, and God, in His love, wants to use the pain of these consequences to bring us back to Himself. This is how I found Him. When the School of hard knocks finally brought me to the place where I stopped blaming others, I could start to see that His ways are good and right and proper. I turned to Him and found peace and joy and hope and strength to do what without Him I could not, and cannot do. I too had misunderstood God, I hadn't thought He cared. When I turned to Him I discovered relationship with the nicest person in the universe. It's not rocket science “God good, Devil bad.” Who will/do you follow? Whether we know it or not, one way or the other we follow him or Him! Don't agree? If you don't and I am right, you are deceived. Perhaps its me who is deceived, but then I do have peace and joy, and I am a lot more patient than I was. Sounds like God to me :)!