I wonder…

Music, TV, books and events…it is not difficult to see that things in our society have moved so totally away from God’s word that the Monotones would have to wonder “Who wrote the book of Love?”

Over the past couple of weeks, I have seen a bunch of reaction to Halloween (some positive, some negative but all of it passionate).  What makes people so determined to defend their right to ‘celebrate’ Halloween?

Christmas is coming quickly and I have already started preparing.  I try, as much as I can, to give homemade gifts.  This year I caught myself wondering if someone would find me cheap for not spending money instead of time.  With a family of seven, money puts food on the table and a roof over our heads.  Time is precious.

Not that long ago, one of our children wanted to watch a movie.  I gave an emphatic, “No.”  The child was not impressed and responded with, “Well, I’ve seen this______ and it’s no worse!”  “You let me watch _______.”  “At youth group a couple of years ago we saw _____.”

Now, I wasn’t at youth group and I did not know that this child had watched this ______.  But I did give permission for that ________.  Why did I do that?  What could possibly have motivated me to allow that into our home?

“ratatatatatatatatat” “ka-boom”  “craaack” “bang”

The sound of gunfire reverberates through the video game.  Why are my boys playing this?

Once, my mother asked me why we didn’t let our children watch certain things.  My answer was that we don’t invite people into our home to swear at us and behave badly.  Why on earth would we pay someone to do it?

In fact, far more often than I would care to admit, we have allowed things into our homes and into the lives of our children that, in hindsight, I am so ashamed of having permitted.  Once our minds (and hearts) have been exposed to hate, anger, immorality and godlessness, we cannot erase those things.

When God wanted to protect Adam from the knowledge of good and evil, He had very good reason.  When Satan twisted the truth, tempting Eve with the fruit, he told her that she would not ‘surely die’ when her eyes were opened to good and evil.  Genesis 2, 3

The thing is, every time we choose sin, we choose to be separate from God.

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

My husband and I can only control, to a  limited extent, what our children encounter when they are outside our home.  We can control, however, the things to which they are exposed when they are within our home.  Our home should be a safe place where the world can not get at them.  It should be a place where they don’t have to pick and choose what is ok.  It should be a place where the foundation of their lives is being laid.  Our family unit is the protective armour designed to shield them from the land mines of the world that would separate them from God.

Every family has different standards, but in God’s word, I just don’t see the wiggle room for choosing sin.  We all sin.

Romans 3:23
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 5:12
Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned—

Sin is a fact of life.  None of us is immune.  The issue isn’t whether or not we sin.  The issue is whether or not we choose to sin.  The choice could be rooted in the “right” we have to choose, it could be submission to the flesh or it could be as simple as not taking the time to think or pray before making a decision.

Ultimately, God has given us very clear parameters for our freedom.

Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

 Anytime we move outside of those parameters, we are moving away from God.  Even Christians do this.  It is not limited to the world.

The difference is that the world does not know God.  They ask, “I wonder, wonder, wonder who who wrote the book of love”.

As Christians, we do know God.  We know (or at least are learning) God’s word.  We can go to Him and ask Him which way to go and ask Him for guidance when we’re not sure about something.

John 14:6
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

God is the answer – no matter what the question.