Branau am Inn is a simple yet attractive town in upper Austria. Its rustic
stores are neatly lined up with fashioned displays, the church steeple proudly
towers above the skyline, and flowers decorate the streets, the remains of
medieval walls, and the houses, some of which date back to the 16th and 17th
centuries.
This quiet little town can also be found in the history books, for it hosts the
birthhouse of one rather well-known name from the past: Adolph Hitler. Adolph,
the 4th child of Klara and Alois Hitler, was the only one in the family to make
the history books. His dad, a hard-working man, held considerable status in the
Austrian custom services and he provided well for his family's needs.
Adolph was a medium student, whose only ambition in life was to become an
artist. Unfortunately, this ambition did not please his father. He eventually
left school with the equivalent of a ninth grade education, and his 1907
application to the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts was denied. It seems that Adolph
was "unqualified" for their programs.
After both of his parents had passed away, Adolph lived on his inheritance, as
well on an orphan fund, which required that he continue his studies. He
pretended to do just that, but he was unwilling to work, and after exhausting
all of his money, Adolph ended up in a homeless shelter.
Between 1910 and 1913 Adolph painted and sold postcards and pictures. He also
began debating his unique ideas with others in the shelter. He failed to
register for the Austrian draft and ended up fleeing to Munich, Germany. He
eventually was extradited back to Austria, but was then rejected by the army as
physically unfit.
When World War I broke out, Adolph volunteered for the German army. While he
laid in the hospital, temporarily blinded by mustard gas, Germany was declared
defeated. It was at that time that he began to blame Jews for the defeat of
Germany, and he decided to enter politics in order to save the country.
Little by little Hitler began developing his speaking skills, and he eventually
rose to power and changed the world with his ambitions. This led to World War
II, and it has been estimated that between 50 and 70 million people were killed
during this atrocious War.
How could someone from such a quiet little town grow up to make the kinds of
choices made by Adolph Hitler? Interestingly, it was just one decision leading
to another, but these affected the world.
Our own actions are no different. We may think that our petty sins have no
consequences on anyone, but they do. Think about it: families are destroyed,
children become estranged and people are herded into a life of hell. All because
of one wrong action that lead to another.
Beauty may surround us. We may even be attending church regularly. But if we
live for ourselves instead of for God, we will eventually cause damage that will
affect not only ourselves, but our loved ones as well. True love cannot co-exist
with selfishness. It is utterly impossible.
This is why the apostle Peter urges us to not put off our choice to accept God's
invitation to salvation through His son Jesus. Only Jesus can bring meaning and
purpose in our lives. Only He can turn our lives into blessings to others.
"So, friends, confirm God's invitation to you, his choice of you. Don't put it
off; do it now. Do this, and you'll have your life on a firm footing…" (2 Peter
1:10 The Message)
If in doubt about the consequences of your actions, consider Adolph Hitler's
life. He had a promising future, but his choices didn't fulfill him.
Are our lives making a difference to others, or are we just barely trying to
exist? Are others blessed by our decisions, or do our decisions hurt them? In
the hereafter, will we be received with open arms or with disdain?
It's not too late to accept the offer of the Lover of our soul. He can change
our destiny around and make it worthwhile! The choice is ours to make!
"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."
(John 15:13 NIV)
Rob Chaffart
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
everyone to look towards Jesus as the source of all the solutions to our
problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
messages. HTML and plain text versions available.
The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.