Using wrong to correct the wrong!

 

Defensiveness and convincing are two things that we are born with and use them to prove our views are “right.”. We do it in our families, school, work, and social gatherings. If proved wrong, we feel belittled, defeated or humiliated. Sometimes, having proved wrong can upset our entire worldview, leaving us unanchored. Psychologist cites, “the problem is that we all come with the necessary equipment to fall into the “always be right” trap.”. Let us not forget that we all can go wrong at any point of time, we fall into the trap ignorantly or deliberately.

Right and wrong are never relative as most people think. The saying; “one man’s food is another man poison” does not legitimize it. People support the wrong, sanitize it and camouflage it as right for their convenience. Wrong is wrong however one paints it to appear right. People politicize to dilute the truth and use religion to give it a godly angle.

People attempt to use a wrong to rectify a wrong but fail to understand that they end up doing more wrong. They constantly have to strive to accommodate and mitigate the result of all their wrong doings. Their conscience does not bother them as long as their survival remains undisturbed. Sadly, the means and methodologies become irrelevant and constantly battle with the consequences of the many wrongs done in their day to day life.  

Being right is always connected with truth, liberating and helping people to live in freedom, which is why Jesus asserted “truth shall set you free.”. And to know the truth you need to know a God who is full of truth. Jesus claims, “I am the way the truth and the life.”.  If you want to live a liberated life you need to adopt the truth and the source of the truth. Jesus is the full expression of God’s absolute truth.  Peace and joy your soul longs for are the result of doing what is right. Come out of the illusion caused by tradition, meaningless ideologies and theologies. R C Sproul puts it beautifully, “We live in an age of compromise, but if we stand on the bedrock of God’s truth, we will not bend with the winds of relativism and faithlessness.".

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Are you free yet?

 

We are all recipients of pain and suffering in this world. We usually conclude that it has been caused by someone other than us. Somewhere we fail to realize that we all influence the good and bad happening around us. We assume we are roaming free but we are actually bound in shackles.

I want to quote John Lennox, a Northern Irish Mathematician of science. He is Emeritus professor of Mathematics at the university of Oxford and an Emeritus Fellow in Mathematics and philosophy of science at Green Templeton College. In his book “Where is God in Coronavirus?” He reveals the sources of pain and suffering this way:

‘Pain and suffering come from two distinct sources. Firstly, there is suffering as a result of natural disasters and diseases, for which humans are not (directly) responsible: earthquakes, tsunamis, cancers, and the Coronavirus. This leads to the problem of pain, or, as it is often called, the problem of natural evil. This terminology is somewhat unfortunate, since the word “evil” has moral connotations and neither earthquakes nor viruses are moral agents. Second there is suffering for which men and women are directly responsible: acts of hate, terror, violence, abuse and murder. That leads to the problem of moral evil.’.

The law of the land and constitution deal with defaulters who intentionally break the law and indulge in crimes. Their evil surpasses limits and as a result are hunted down by law, but what about the many who do not appear on radar of the law, secretly involving in things, which are deemed as vices? Many breaking the moral law fail to notice that the evil they indulged and associated with has accumulated and outgrown the virtues,  forcing them to live in bondage all their lives. Consequently, all are experiencing the effects of it.

Stephen Covey in his book “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” points the inside-out approach which says, "Private victories, precede public victories, that making and keeping promises to ourselves precedes making and keeping promises to others.". Many are observing this day as "Freedom Sunday" and praying a small prayer for people who are in some form of bondage.

The root of evil is inherent in all human beings. Some willfully embrace evil for selfish ends, while some are taken unawares. The Bible talks about the problem of sin and addiction to such vices. It says, “For I do not understand what I am doing, because I do not practice what I want to do, but I do what I hate… So now I am no longer the one doing it, but it is sin living in me.”. Bible never endorses mass salvation and purification. It is an individual commitment asking God for help to transform oneself and family and live as a dignified human being who pleases God. You can make a commitment today!

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Freedom from the bondage!

 

Millions are trapped under some form of slavery in our country and worldwide. The global slavery index points out that 40.3 million are victims of modern-day slavery. Modern Day Slavery is human trafficking of families (men, women & children) into forced labor, sex and other forms of oppression. 

Human trafficking and bonded labor are serious issues our entire nation is fighting to eradicate. This cruel form of evil has trapped even the innocent children who are clueless of being used as a commodity. It is unfortunate that with the demand being high, the supply makes it very costly because of the risks involved in the crime. This in turn makes it a lucrative business for the tycoons involved. They merchandise people entice many to participate and associate with such evil for the money. In many countries such horrendous crimes are known as organized crime.

News of such heinous crimes have become a common feature that we have become numb, helpless and apathetic. Martin Luther King Jr puts it beautifully, “We all have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people.”. Our silence is sin. Bible talks about it so strongly. ‘Rescue those being taken off to death, and save those stumbling toward slaughter. If you say, “But we didn’t know about this,” won’t he who weighs hearts consider it? Won’t he who protects your life know? Won’t he who repay a person according to his work?’

It is important we join hands to pray for the lives of the vulnerable who are trapped and hopeless. Also pray that the government will take effective steps and eradicate this cruel form of evil from our society and our country. 20^th September, 2020 (Sunday) is observed as "Freedom Sunday" in Churches and institutions to educate people and children about it and at the same time pray for deliverance of such people.

Let me again quote Martin Luther king Jr who says, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”. Evil is contagious and it affects all. God of the Bible is the God of justice and demands our unity to eradicate any form of evil that affects human race. The Bible says, “The righteous is concerned for the rights of the poor, the wicked does not understand such concern.”. Would you like to say a small prayer for this injustice and submit yourself as an agent of transformation? For further reading on this issue, refer to my previous blogs given below:

How safe are your loved ones-1

How safe are your loved ones-2

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Quest for happiness!

 

Who is willing to believe today, that happiness is the matter of one’s heart? We live in a materialistic world where happiness is tied to commodities and is priced very high. Many think happiness is the absence of unhappiness, which is not, nor is it exactly the opposite of unhappiness. It’s neither jubilation nor ecstatic joy because those are not enduring emotions. They come and go. You receive a gift and you’re thrilled; you’re elated. Few months later, chances are you’ve forgotten the moment entirely.

A quantum mechanical principle, the Pauli Exclusion Principle, states that ‘no two particles can occupy the same space at the same time. Let’s apply the principle to our lives. The book in your hand and your coffee cup, for instance, can’t occupy the same space. Your hat and your shoe can’t occupy the same space. The space will hold one thing or the other, but not both. You can place your hat on top of your shoe and the cup on top of the book, but neither one can occupy the exact same area of space at the same time. Occupying space is what separates matter from light. Matter takes up a volume of space, and no other matter particle can occupy it.’.

Does it tell us something? “The peace in you can’t occupy the same space as the anxiety in you. Happiness can’t share the same space with sadness and fear.  Love can’t share the same space with bitterness. In order for love to operate fully within you, bitterness must step aside. In order for faith to manifest itself fully in you, doubt must fall away. Anxiety must move over for peace to reign in you. In the same way, if you hang on to negative emotions, they will muscle out the good ones” Marie Chapian

We assume the future will be better than the present, things will always be happier tomorrow. It is good to have positive thinking and hope positively, but does positive thinking alone guarantees life?  We cling to hopes that fail us most of the time. We are also taught that health, autonomy, social involvement, fulfilling work, and the quality of our environment are the real sources of happiness. But are they? Unless we hold on to the source of happiness, we are bound to be disappointed quite often. The source of happiness is God himself not using God to find something else beside God. The Bible says, “Happy are the people whose God is the LORD.”. When we find God, we find life and happiness. You will most importantly be blessed with peace which is a rare commodity in today’s world. Jesus says, “..no one will take your joy from you.”. would you like to commit your life and find God who is the source of all happiness?  

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