DIVIDED I FALL

015 – NOVEMBER 2004

DIVIDED I FALL

IT IS VERY CONFUSING THAT SUCH A GREAT COUNTRY CAN BE SO EQUALLY DIVIDED … ON EVERY ISSUE. CHOOSE AN ISSUE IN AMERICA AND YOU WILL FIND A DIVERSE 50/50 SPLIT IN OPINION AND THOUGHT. HOW CAN THIS BE? I AM CONVINCED THAT MOST FOLKS SIMPLY ADAPT THEIR THINKING TO THE PARTISAN PARTY THAT THEY MAY INHERE TO . WOULDN’T IT BE NICE IF WE ACTUALLY THOUGHT THINGS THROUGH AND MADE DECISIONS BASED ON PRINCIPLES … RATHER THAN BE MOVED BY THE POLITICAL BIAS THAT WE ALL SEEM TO BEAR.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO UNITE THIS COUNTRY? WILL IT BE TOO LITTLE – TOO LATE?
“UNITED WE STAND. DIVIDED WE FALL.” THINK ABOUT IT - CAN WE CONTINUE TO IGNORE THAT TRUTH AND EXPECT TO REMAIN A GREAT COUNTRY? CAN WE BE THAT FOOLISH?

THIS SAME TRUTH APPLIES NOT ONLY TO NATIONS AND KINGDOMS, BUT ALSO TO US. OUR LIFE ITSELF CAN BE UNITED OR DIVIDED. WE CAN CHOOSE A PARTICULAR PATH AND REMAIN FOCUSSED OR WE CAN REPEATEDLY LOSE DIRECTION BY BEING TOSSED BY EVERY URGE OR CRAVING. OUR DESIRES CAN BE OPPOSED TO ONE ANOTHER AND CREATE A DIVIDED PERSON WITHIN. WHAT YOU SAY YOU WANT … WHAT YOU SAY IS IMPORTANT CAN BE OPPOSED BY WHAT YOU ARE ACTUALLY DOING.

IT CAN BE AS SIMPLE AS WANTING TO GET IN PHYSICAL SHAPE AND YET CONTINUE TO EAT POORLY … AND TOO MUCH.
IT CAN BE AS SIMPLE AS WANTING TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH THE FAMILY AND YET PLOP IN FRONT OF THE TV FOR HOURS A DAY.
IT CAN BE AS SIMPLE AS WANTING TO GET CLOSER TO GOD AND YET WE NEGLECT TO PRAY.
IT CAN BE AS SIMPLE AS WANTING TO READ THE BIBLE AND YET WE SPEND OUR TIME READING GOSSIP OR SPORTS MAGAZINES.
IT MAY BE THAT THE THINGS THAT YOU ACTUALLY DO ARE, INDEED, THE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH WATCHING SOME TV OR READING A “SPORTS ILLUSTRATED”. HOWEVER, IF THESE THINGS PREVENT YOU FROM DOING THE THINGS THAT YOU SAY YOU WANT TO DO … YOU WILL NEED TO TAKE A PERSONAL INVENTORY, DETERMINE WHAT IS ACTUALLY IMPORTANT, AND BECOME UNITED WITHIN YOURSELF.
JAMES 1:8 “A DOUBLE MINDED MAN IS UNSTABLE IN ALL HIS WAYS.”

OUR NOBLE PURSUIT OF GOD ALSO COMES UP SHORT AS WE MAKE DAILY CHOICES THAT ARE OPPOSITE TO EXPERIENCING HIM. WHEN WE DECIDE TO BE INVOLVED WITH THINGS THAT ARE NOT BLESSED, IT WILL PRODUCE A MORE SERIOUS DIVISION OF OUR SOUL. QUITE SIMPLY, WE CHOOSE TO SIN AND BECOME “LUKE WARM”. WE BECOME DIVIDED WITHIN OURSELVES.

DON’T BE DECEIVED - ONE FOOT IN THE DEEDS OF THE FLESH AND ONE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL CAUSE YOU TO STRADDLE. SPIRITUALLY, YOU WILL WALK FUNNY, YOU WILL LOOK FUNNY AND YOU WILL BE UNSTABLE. YOU COULD, IN FACT, FALL.
THINK ABOUT IT - “UNITED I STAND. DIVIDED I FALL.” CAN WE CONTINUE TO IGNORE THAT TRUTH AND EXPECT TO BE STRONG IN OUR FAITH? CAN WE BE THAT FOOLISH?

IT MIGHT BE A GOOD TIME TO RE-ESTABLISH WHO YOU ARE IN SPIRIT, SOUL, AND BODY. SET SOME GOALS AND BECOME FOCUSSED. REMOVE THE DIVERSIONS AND CLUTTER THAT PREVENTS YOU FROM ATTAINING ALL THAT YOU SHOULD BE IN CHRIST.

JOSHUA 24:15 “… CHOOSE YOU THIS DAY WHOM YOU WILL SERVE … BUT AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE, WE WILL SERVE THE LORD.”