Deeper Tragedy

I'm sure that all of us have heard about the tragedy in Newtown, CT. If you did not hear our President's encouraging speech, here it is for you.

So, all politics aside.

There is something worse that is manifesting from these events that happen day to day. From massacres to bomb threats, it is everywhere. And while these are absolutely horrible experiences that you would not even wish on your worst enemy, we have to think, why does it take so much for us to turn to God?

So many tragic and life-changing events have happened to the world and more personally, right here in Lubbock, lately that I have noticed more and more people gather to pray for the people affected by these circumstances. While I totally agree with this and participate in these prayer gatherings, these obviously should not  be the only times we lean on God.

True Facts:

• God is all you need (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)
• God completes us ( Colossians 2:10)
• God is enough (Psalm 73:25-26)

As humans we tend to miss these when things are going right or our way. We feel self-sufficient, and we are comfortable with how our lives are going at the time. But, when something tragic like 9-11 or Hurricane Katrina happens, we suddenly realize that we have NO control over what happens in this life, well at least for that brief moment.

"9-11, we can hold hands, 9-12, I don't know man" -Swoope, Hip-Hop Artist

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Let's take it back

Think about sin, and how it came into the picture. Adam and Eve chilled with God, therefore they had everything that they could ever dream of. However, this was not enough for them, so they wanted more, just like you and I. They looked for satisfaction, and instead of finding something better than what they already had (which they couldn't), they found a lie. They sinned.

     because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
(Romans 1:25 ESV)

So we can see that this has even happened since the creation of time. God allowing tragedy for His glory. If it was not for the sin created at the beginning of the ages, there would be no need for the romance we have with our Savior Jesus Christ. If we were sinless, there would be no need for a Savior.

-->A life without Jesus??? 

Because of that beautiful tragedy, God has brought His people back to Him, through His awesome, perfect plan. This is something that we like to call, Redemption.

 Redemption is the act of buying something back, or paying a price to return something to your possession. In this case, God's ultimate plan of bringing His children back to Him. Which will happen.

Some people ask, "if God loves us so much, why would He allow us to suffer like this?"

...and those people forget that we are already victorious in the name of Jesus.

    

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
(Romans 8:37 ESV)

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God's plan is still rolling, and it's hard to believe at times; but this tragedy is much deeper than a cynical gunman. In Ephesians 6:10-18 Paul clearly states that "our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, the authorities, and the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly wrelms."

I can make this conclusion from that text: our battle is not against sinners, but sin.
And our problem is not more horror, but less God.

In my addictions class this past semester, we learned that to fight a disease, you don't treat the symptoms, you treat the defect. The same goes with sin, we need to treat the sin, and not adjust ourselves to the situations that happen because of it.

SO this leaves us with a few questions..

How is all of this for His glory?

And just as important...

How do we "treat sin"? 

I can answer the first easily. We fight it.

-->To be continued