TRUTH Thoughts

We have been given a way to defeat the evil that is in the world today.

Do you have any doubts that evil exists, that there are forces impacting our lives? How about a global pandemic that killed millions and disrupted lives and livelihoods around the world. Human forces linked with powerful hurricanes and raging wildfires. War and global conflicts. Genocide, the torture and killing of innocent people. And countless individuals coping with other struggles big and small, personal, and societal, and how about the lack of TRUTH and the outright lies being told by both the media and politicians. These events and situations have brought renewed relevance to an age-old question: Why is there so much suffering and evil in the world?

In Philippians 4: 8 Paul writes” 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.”

Feed your mind with good things, positive things, godly things. Think about Christ himself. Be present with God in this moment. Watch the emotions follow, and the godly behaviors after that.

TRUTH is the starting point for behavior. When the evil one wants to entice a person to sin, he starts in the mind. He tells lies and condemns us until he gets the emotional response that he is looking for. Then he whispers suggestions of ways to calm or alleviate the emotion that would cause the person to disobey God in some way. Perhaps you do not believe in “the evil one” or even that God exists. You must, however, believe that real evil exists.

We see it every day. We experience it in every aspect of society. Some of us call it sin, others evil.? What do you think the cause is? Pew Research Center asked everyday Americans for their thoughts.? Their survey asked a nationally representative sample of 6,485 people: “In your own words, why do you think terrible things happen to people through no apparent fault of their own?” In response, 5,280 offered written responses, short and long, simple, and complex. They then sorted the responses into several categories.

Among U.S. adults, 35% see suffering as random and nearly inescapable; many wrote that life (or another four-letter word) just “happens.” More than one-in-ten attributed human misfortune to God’s will. Smaller shares touched on the themes of free will, sin and evil, Satan, fate, or people and social systems. Still others saw a silver lining to hardship, describing it as an opportunity for growth and perspective. And some responses addressed multiple themes.?

“Just happens?” Random at best? “Inescapable?” This implies little control or ability to change. It eliminates hope or the ability to even think about ways we can deal with evil. I would like to think about this a little differently.

A friend and mentor of mine has helped me to understand that it is more of a matter of attitude. He has been through a great deal in his life.? He is fighting cancer, has delt with emotional and financial problems, and “life” itself. His favorite saying is “pull the good out of the bad.” He rises each morning asking God “what is on your heart for me this day.”? As he sits in the doctor’s office to take Chemo Treatments, he strikes up conversations with fellow patients to bring cheer and joy to their lives.

I choose to think about “good things, positive things, godly things.” Yes, I get frustrated and upset with my lack of patience, with the attitude of others, and their acceptance of evil without any efforts to overcome it. There are so many good and positive things, true blessings and THUTHS I can count upon that I can overcome evil with pure joy.

In writing this I realize that I present myself as a target, squarely in the path of evil. My courage and hope come through my faith and the understanding that God cannot be defeated unless I allow it. There is great comfort in this understanding.