Words of Wisdom #298: If You Are Going to Sin, You Might as well Be Happy

An oracle against the Valley of Vision: What’s the matter with you? Why have all of you gone up to the rooftops? The noisy city, the jubilant town, is filled with revelry. Your dead did not die by the sword; they were not killed in battle. All your rulers have fled together, captured without a bow. All your fugitives were captured together; they had fled far away. Therefore I said, “Look away from me! Let me weep bitterly! Do not try to comfort me about the destruction of my dear people.” For the Lord God of Hosts had a day of tumult, trampling, and bewilderment in the Valley of Vision—people shouting and crying to the mountains…On that day you looked to the weapons in the House of the Forest. You saw that there were many breaches in [the walls of] the city of David. You collected water from the lower pool. You counted the houses of Jerusalem so that you could tear them down to fortify the wall. You made a reservoir between the walls for the waters of the ancient pool, but you did not look to the One who made it, or consider the One who created it long ago. On that day the Lord God of Hosts called for weeping, for wailing, for shaven heads, and for the wearing of sackcloth. But look: joy and gladness, butchering of cattle, slaughtering of sheep, eating of meat, and drinking of wine—“Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!” The Lord of Hosts has revealed [this] in my hearing: “This sin of yours will never be wiped out.” The Lord God of Hosts has spoken. Isaiah 22:1-14 (HCSB)

I have heard this from people, and probably done it myself – once we resign ourselves to not being able to be disciplined enough to stay committed to living a healthy lifestyle, we not only jump off the wagon, we push it right off the cliff so we can feast in desires without guilt. The words “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!” many of us have heard used before, but it is a defeated person’s saying to justify the lifestyle they have committed themselves into living. It is our way of allowing our inner self free to do what it naturally desires to do when no constraints or limits are placed upon it. Of course, somewhere in the morning after we wonder how stupid it was to do what we did, because sooner or later the consequences do catch up to our choices we made.

I think hangovers and upset stomachs are God’s sense of humor in play in our lives. And then there is the headache that comes about a month later when the credit card bills come in from the rash pleasure decisions you made – there are consequences for all our choices, even when we have forgiven ourselves for our stupidity. The most recent fearsome choice and consequence scenario I have witnessed are the “pregnancy pacts” that are going around in the high schools. When kids decide it is somehow a cool thing to have kids – they never stop and consult the wisdom of adults before acting out their choices. Sadly, they find out the hard way that the girls are usually the real losers in the deal because the boy admits he is not ready to be a father to a child, but is proud he could father one. The girl finds out she can mother a child, but struggles in being a mother while she still needs a mother to direct her life. Then what about all the people who get drawn into the pact unwillingly: the parents of both kids who have to deal with their kid having a kid. And, last but not least: the innocent child that is born to a young girl, who must raise the baby before she really is ready and able to do so. How sad such a hasty, ill-conceived idea! It is nothing but a “lose-lose” pact of heart-ache for all concerned, yet it is based upon the same idea of “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”

If only God’s people in Jerusalem had consulted the Lord of Creation? If only they had trusted in His plan for them and realized God would of protected them from their enemies. How different history would have been! Before we act, just like them long ago, we should always seek God’s will, God’s ways, and God’s wisdom according to God’s Word… and there will certainly would be far less heartache, headache, and stomachache in our life.

Coach

www.coachbrown.org

“Whenever you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people. I assure you: They’ve got their reward! But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. When you pray, don’t babble like the idolaters, since they imagine they’ll be heard for their many words. Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask Him.” Matt 6:5-8 (HCSB)