Disguised Dangers. Forgiven, Part 8
Being brought up in a coastal European community after World War II, I was well
warned about the dangers of picking up objects in the dunes. Although our dunes
had been thoroughly combed for explosive devises, every once in a while we would
hear horrible stories about children who picked up what they thought was a toy,
only to trigger a deadly explosion. As a result, there were signs posted
everywhere warning us of the danger, planted by the enemy hand, that potentially
lurked in our quiet dunes.
Even today, landmine damages still occurs, especially in countries such as
Colombia, Iraq, Sudan, Somalia, Angola, India, Cambodia and many others, for a
total of 117 countries in all! In fact between 1999 and 2010, more than 82,000
people have been killed or incapacitated by landmines!
The enemy is actively at work. Take, for example, the Khmer Rouge. In the
mid-70s they took children as young as five and trained them to camouflage and
set landmines in Cambodia.
The only purpose of these landmines is to bring devastation and discouragement
among the people of certain countries. Not only do they kill and maim civilians
and soldiers alike, they also cripple the livelihood of many farmers who can't
earn income due to the fact that their fields have been mined.
We need to remember that the evil one is exactly the same. His purpose for our
lives is "to steal and kill and destroy" (John 10:10), or in other words, to
completely discourage us. He, too, has laid landmines, not in fields or lakes,
but in the very core of the church itself.
"The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while
everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went
away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared."
(Matt 13:24-26 NIV)
What better way to discourage Christians than to sow seeds of discord among
them! Some of these seeds specialize in promoting salvation by works, which will
only lead to total disheartenment because we will never truly measure up. Others
specialize in criticism or in lukewarmness, and other tools of discouragement.
As a result, it is often our fellow-churchgoers who lead us to believe that we
cannot be forgiven. If believers cannot encourage one another, what good is
religion?
What we tend to forget, however, is that Christianity is not about religion.
Instead, it's about us being in a relationship with our Maker and Saviour! Jesus
is the One who came to earth to save us, not the other way around. He is the One
who paid the price so that we could experience real life, forgiveness and
eternity with Him!
Sooner or later someone will notice: "Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your
field? Where then did the weeds come from?" (Matt 13:27 NIV)
The answer is clear: "An enemy did this" (Matt 13:28 NIV)
Discouragement never comes from God, for our God is a God of love and
encouragement: "You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage
them, and you listen to their cry …" (Ps 10:17 NIV)
Naturally when we find out that the enemy is the source of strife among us, we
will wonder: "Do you want us to go and pull them up?" (Matt 13:28 NIV)
God's answer though is clear: "'No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling
the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the
harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and
tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my
barn.'" (Matt 13:29-30 NIV)
It's not for us to discern who is a child of God and who is not. This is not our
worry. God will deal with these "weeds" among us. We are to shine like Jesus
did, we are to love anyone around us, without exception, just like Jesus did:
"Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." (John
13:34 NIV)
Otherwise we might find ourselves on the wrong side of the fence, surrounded by
our very own landmines! Boom! There goes another!
Rob Chaffart