TODAY IS…

a great day to show what is written in our hearts.

“They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thought either accuse them or tell them they are doing right.”  Romans 2:15 NLT

Exactly what is it that people see when they look at us? Are they seeing who we are, or are they seeing only what we want them to see?

We have all heard stories about women who live in abusive relationships. Very few, if any, people can tell that there is abuse based upon what is seen in public. In many cases, when the fact that a man is abusing his wife comes to light, it is often a shock to many people because, “He’s always so nice.” The abused woman puts on a happy face in public out of fear of what will happen if they don’t.

It would be the rare individual who did not know that their behavior violates not only societal law, but God’s law as well. Some of these abusers actually will use God’s name when inflicting their pain and their “punishment,” but if they truly felt it was OK with God, why is this behavior always hidden and kept secret? Because in their heart they know that what they are doing is wrong. If we all could see what was truly written in their hearts, we would know that they are far from righteous in the eyes of God.

“For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.” (Romans 2:13 NIV).

The same applies to any “secret life” we may have which displays anything other than what is truly acceptable to God.

With the growth of the internet, sexual sin has increased by leaps and bounds and the degradation of the human spirit has become a way of life – a secret way of life – for countless individuals. The viewing of pornography is among the most common of these sins and the number of lives that this “harmless” pastime has affected, and destroyed, is incalculable.

It is an unfortunate safe bet that, as you look around at the members of your church on Sunday, a disturbing number will be carrying this secret with them. Many classify its viewing as a harmless, private pursuit. But scant few would be willing to stand up in church and admit that they do it, that they like it, that they do not think it affects their relationships, and that it is acceptable in the eyes of God.

The truth is that it is a destructive pastime that serves no purpose and takes valuable time away from our friends, families, and other loved ones. It also wastes valuable time that we could be spending doing the work of God by helping those who are in need. In addition, it damages our relationship with God, Himself, which affects every aspect of our lives.

If you engage in behavior that you would be embarrassed, or ashamed of, if it became public knowledge, then you need to ask God to help you rewrite what is written in your heart.

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson