Things rattling around in my head.

This will be a post that has nothing to do with the geeky things I usually write about, but instead it is stuff that I have been thinking about lately. Plus a song at the end! Hooray!

We are all screw-ups.

I don’t care what your personal philosophy is, we all have done things in our lives that we are ashamed of. I don’t think anybody can argue that. It’s part of learning and growing. We make mistakes, we should learn from those mistakes and be better people because of them.

Unfortunately, our mistakes hurt.

They hurt ourselves, they hurt others. We betray, we ignore, we belittle the ones we are supposed to care about. Not usually intentionally, but because we are selfish by nature.

God came to Earth in human form to experience this, and He gave us leniency and a path out of this terrible cycle. It goes by the names of forgiveness, grace, and mercy. Many that hear this message accept it, embrace it, and begin to live it. Instead of seeking retaliation when they are hurt by others, they take the teachings of Jesus to heart and forgive those that hurt them.

Sadly, many of these same people quickly forget what this message was, they let the culture drown out the voice of reason, the voice of forgiveness. They start up crusades, battles, wars. In the name of God. They claim things in His name that he never told them to say.  I am constantly reminded of the passage in the book of Joshua where Joshua and his army comes face to face with the Commander of the Lord’s Armies (who some say was God Himself). Joshua asks the Commander if he is on the his side, or the side of his enemy? The Commander answers “Neither“.

My friends, God isn’t a genie, or a mascot, or a cause. He is not a bumper sticker, or a slogan, or a quick soundbite.

Are YOU on HIS side?

Joshua didn’t understand that God wasn’t on HIS side. Not at first. We have to make the choice of being on His side.

God isn’t a Republican or a Democrat or an American or Israeli or Russian or Mexican. He isn’t a male or female. He isn’t gay or straight or transgendered. He isn’t white or black or Catholic or Rastafarian or whatever else you may think He may be. He ISN’T on YOUR side.

He is simply I AM. The Living God that holds time, the universe, the multiverse, the omniverse in His hand. He was before it all and will extend beyond it all.

I am reminded that we were and are just one step away from being God’s enemy.

LORD, I want to do Your will, not stand in the way.

I want to be on His side.