Disaster

[If Anya believes that this post looks familiar, this is because it comes from some of the very helpful conversations which I recently had with her.]

After the fall, this world became a very depressing place.

Sin and its effects are everywhere. Most of the terrible ideologies have at their base a denial of this fact. Some are willing to say that governments are corrupt, while denying that people are evil. Some are even willing to say that people are generally corrupt, but not their intellect, or on the other hand willing to say that the intellect is corrupt but through any number of processes it is possible to free the pure emotions from its vice-like grip.

Closer to home, some are willing to say that there are problems in the "world", in the "culture" - but not inside our homes and churches. (Other Christian homes or churches, perhaps, but not mine.) Closer still, I am willing to say that other people do not have a comprehensive enough view of sin, but am often being pulled short at my own naivety and "innocence" in regards to my own practices that assume perfection in myself - where I can expect none. Contrary to popular belief, it is not innocent, naive and certainly not "kind of cute" to not be able to discern sin in one's own life. If I may take an example from "the culture" to illustrate a truth that hits close to home, I think that the lyrics to Mandy Moore's song So Real should give one pause to think about how often one particular form of "innocence" is used for immoral ends.

As Christians, we have been given a new heart, a new mind and a new life. We have the Holy Spirit, the Almighty God, dwelling within us. But this does not mean that we are God. And so we do not have any right to follow our heart. We were given a new heart, not in order that we might serve ourselves, but that we might serve God....and it is God who will give us the victory.

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8).