Day 2657 of the 7 day Bible verse challenge.

Isaiah 59:2 NIV

I think it's perfectly evident to most that this world's got some big problems. And we're hearing plenty of folks offer up their suggestions as to how to alleviate some of these issues. But the thing about solving a problem is that in order to administer the correct remedy, you have to figure out what the root of the problem is. It's like with a weed growing in your garden. You won't get rid of it if you simply remove the top part that shows above the surface. You have to rip out the roots so that it has nothing remaining to help it grow back up.

Now there are an array of varying issues that we're facing. Mass shootings and gun violence. Human trafficking. Abortion rights. Race relations. The threat of war at any moment in the east. And I know we could list even more but we'll keep it short for time's sake. Now on the surface, like those weeds in a garden, these issues don't look anything alike. They're all quite different in fact. So how can we determine what the common root cause is, if there is a common cause there to even address?

That's where people are going about it all wrong. They're trying to nip the buds but not looking deeper to find the root of the problems. On the surface, they're all different issues, and different issues lead us to assuming the obvious: That they need different solutions. But what if we look deeper? What if it isn't a gun problem? What if it isn't just a skin color issue? What if all those things we just listed and the others like them actually do have one single underlying cause that we could, in theory, address that would help us fix several different problems with one solution?

Well, it's gonna take all of us putting our thinking caps on for a minute and throwing our ego and pride and pre-conceived notions out the door. But no worries, I think I can even help us skip the hard work of brainstorming different potential root issues. I'll just jump straight to my theory: It's not a gun problem or a skin problem or a right to life problem. It's a God problem. A sin problem. A collection of hearts that have rejected God and chosen sin and remain steadfast in their pursuit of selfishness over righteousness and pleasure over persecution.

You're welcome!

You see, all of the issues we're facing are the result of one underlying cause: God's not welcome here. The world as a whole has chosen to continue piling up iniquities and sin like they're going out of style. As a world culture, we've built everything we do on everything wrong and then, in the most confusing and gob smacking manner, we sit around pretending like it's a gun that's causing the problems. Or it's a political party that's creating the divide. Or it's a single person who is simply set on hurting others. Or it's a broken system. No, it's a broken humanity. It's a heart issue. It's lack of souls set on serving Christ.

Now I know that folks will call me biased because I've obviously chosen a side. But can we all agree that these other "solutions" that people are coming up with clearly aren't helping? If we take the weapons away, people will still find ways to hurt others. If we outlaw racial slurs, people will harbor hatred in their hearts. If we come up with new names for the petty sides that we're choosing in all these foolish and pointless worldly arguments, folks will still find reasons to separate themselves because of their differences. Again, it's not an exterior problem so we can't look to an exterior solution.

Until we collectively humble ourselves before God and beg for His forgiveness and plead for His healing and help, we're not going to change a thing. The problems we're facing can only be solved by letting God back into our homes, our hearts, and our lives. I get it, He isn't popular. He has rules, oh, the horror of the thought of following rules! He has consequences. He has expectations. He has a demand to put Him first and forsake ourselves. He asks us to let go of the world and its ways and live for something more. And yes, His ways go against everything that seemingly everyone wants. And all of it is hard because it demands humility and change and learning to live for something more than our precious selves. But what everyone wants and accepts and prioritizes and allows and turns a blind eye toward just ain't working anymore!

Friends, humanity has gone a horribly long way in the worst possible direction and we're seeing the results of those choices. Choosing to follow our desires over His calling. Choosing to enjoy sin rather than repent of it. Choosing to seek pleasure instead of seeking Christ. Choosing to put ourselves first and shove God out of our way. Choosing to live in this pitiful and hollow illusion of freedom rather than seeking the real thing. Choosing to adopt the ways of a fallen humanity over the harder path of aiming for the example we have in Jesus. Choosing to continue to ignore God and then blame Him for not solving the problems that we create by not allowing Him to lead our hearts. Just how dumb can we possibly get? (Side note, never ask questions like that because some see apparently see them as challenges and try to surprise us.)

Look, the fact of the matter is that we screwed up. We have completely botched basically everything. Humanity as a whole has made every wrong choice and until we admit that fact and beg God to forgive us and help us learn to live better, nothing will ever improve. We have to stop playing around like we can fix all these diverse problems with diverse solutions that only treat what we can see. We have to go deeper. We have to turn the search inward and find the sins and wickedness and darkness that's living within us because it's that sin and wickedness and darkness that is causing our hearts to continue to be okay with doing what's wrong.

We're not going to fix anything with a solution that doesn't include God, repentance, and more humility than any of us have ever managed to find. In many ways hope seems lost. This world is in such a horrendous state that fixing it seems absolutely impossible. But our faith never loses hope completely. The odds are against us. Sin is never going to fall from this pedestal that most of humanity has placed it upon. Darkness will always exist as long as this world is spinning. But we have to try. We have to do something. We have to, because if we don't, then we're admitting defeat and God calls us to do better than that.

We have to stand up to the evils that are pulling us away from God and fight this fight like our lives depend on it. Because they do. And we have to find the courage to help others see the dangers of sin so that they too can find salvation in Christ before it’s too late. And we have to endure the trials and persecution that will come when we point out the sins and darkness that have people trapped and hurting. SO BE IT!!

If nothing else, please line things out in your own heart. God can change things around in an instant when we give Him that chance and turn our hearts back to Him. His mercy is everything we need. His grace can cover our mistakes. His love will never run out. But friends, we have to accept them and strive for them and live for them and change our lives for them. We have all been separated from God, and sadly, much of the world will choose to keep it that way. Please don't make that same choice. Yes, He feels distant when we're caught up in sin and separated from His presence by our stupidity. But He sent Christ to show us that there is no such thing as out of reach. Return to Him and ask for His forgiveness before the world goes on ahead and blows itself apart.

Who knows, if enough do that then we just may end up making a difference after all. And if not, then at the very least we’ll have the peace of knowing that we’re on the right side of His impending return, and just maybe, we’ll be able to help a few others turn from their sins to their Savior and head for that eternal peace as well.

#LeaveNoSoulUntold