The Land of the Plentiful and the Forgetful
"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other,
or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other." (Matt 6:24 NIV)
When I first arrived in the land of "milk and honey", also known as "North
America", I was ill-prepared for its abundance. Whenever I went shopping or
sightseeing, I would always compare everything with my old home. Prices,
attractions, people, churches, attitudes, education… anything and everything was
closely scrutinized and contrasted with the way it was in Europe. I was
physically present, but emotionally, I was absent. My mind was in Belgium, the
land of my ancestry and my upbringing. Is it any wonder that I couldn't fully
enjoy my first year in this land of plenty?
How often don't we, as believers, treat God's kingdom the same way? We come out
of a life of sin into the spiritual land of plenty, but we continue to hunger
for our old ways of life! We faithfully go to church every Sunday, but we forget
about God the rest of the days of the week.
Is that what Christianity is about?
David approached this problem differently by saying: "The fool says in his
heart, 'There is no God.'" (Ps 14:1a NIV)
You may have heard this text before, but when I recently read it in the original
Hebraic text, I was surprised at the subtle difference: "The fool says in his
heart: 'No God.'"
"No God!" Imagine that!
When reading this passage I was hit with the thought that there are two kinds of
atheists in this world: The "intellectual" atheist-The one who doubts God's
existence because he knows no better (but in actual emergencies most of them
find themselves praying to that God they don't believe in!); and the "practical"
atheist-The one who believes in God, but lives as if He doesn't really exist!
This is confirmed by the next verse: "They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;
there is no one who does good. The LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of
men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. All have turned
aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not
even one." (Ps 14:1b-3 NIV)
Is it possible that many believers have become "practical" atheists? Though they
believe in God, they live their lives as if God doesn't even exist?
"I will do it my way!" they cry out. "God will understand! Doesn't He love me
anyway?"
"We are all sinners!" they reason. "God paid the price for us, so why worry!
Let's be merry and continue the way we are! I am still better that the guy next
door!"
Have we missed the boat? Have we forgotten the awful price Jesus had to pay to
obtain our forgiveness? Is it any wonder that such believers do not experience
God on a personal level? Didn't David say: "God is present in the company of the
righteous." (Ps 14:5 NIV) Can God be present in the company of those who pretend
to be righteous, but are not? Have we forgotten the Apostle Paul's admonition:
"For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person-such a man is
an idolater-has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one
deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on
those who are disobedient." (Eph 5:5-6 NIV)
Is it possible that our "Christian" nations have become more atheistic than
countries where Christianity is unwelcomed?
Isn't it time for us to wake up and realize the real condition we have put
ourselves in? Isn't it time for repentance? Isn't it time to come back to God
and make Him our sole reality?
"'Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.' Be very
careful, then, how you live-not as unwise but as wise." Eph 5:14-15 NIV)
My question to you is this: Are you an "intellectual' Christian or a practical
one?
P. S. Now that I am truly living in this land of plentiful, I have a hard time
remembering the ways of my old country! May we all also forget the ways of our
former sinful lives!
Rob Chaffart