The results of disobedience

The more one watches the news about the state of our nation, and indeed about the troubles of this world in general, the more apparent it is that most of these problems are caused by human greed and selfishness. The Bible describes such attitudes with one simple word; "disobedience". All our national problems of civil strife, social breakdown, disharmony and on a wider scale, the problems of nations refusing to live at peace with other nations are all caused by this very simple but profound word "disobedience".

No matter who we are or where we live God has given every individual a "moral compass" called a conscience so they can tell right from wrong. We can all tell if we are being selfish or greedy and we can all sense when we are being disobedient to the standards of conduct God has set which would bring peace, prosperity and social order. The Ten Commandments are acknowledged as being "the guide par excellence" to attitudes, conduct and behaviour and written on every human heart is a general understanding of what is morally right and what is morally wrong. Due to this God given implanted conscience, St Paul actually wrote in Romans Ch 1 that the human race is "without excuse" for its disobedience. Humanity knows what is morally wrong, but continues to go down the path of immoral behaviour causing untold suffering and trouble to an untold number of people along the way.

One religious commentator recently lamented about the state of UK saying "Just how bad must things get for this country before our people learn that disobedience to the laws of God brings nothing but trouble? Did a World War teach us? It didn't. Did a second World War? It didn't. What about the disintegration of family life and society or indeed the break up of the British Empire? It didn't. What about the destruction of the mightiest naval force on earth. It didn't. What about the end to the wealth of our mines and the destruction of all the industries upon which the wealth of our nation was based such as shipbuilding, steel making and the wholesale destruction of our economy. It didn't."

And on a more global scale, what about 9/11 and the chain of events which it has now unleashed on the world? Has it made the human race "sit up and think" that this is one almighty "wake up call"? It clearly hasn't. People are still as greedy, still just as selfish, churches continue to close through sheer apathy and lack of interest and the commonsense morality outlined in Scripture continues to be ignored, ridiculed or redefined. No wonder those whose hearts are right before God ask "What does it take to make people see that things always go wrong when God and His laws are defied"?

When someone sees an instruction on their electric fire saying "do not touch" they obey in the knowledge that the sign is there for their own safety. It's the same with God's moral laws of conduct and behaviour. They are there for our benefit, safety and social order. Just as the universe has the physical laws of chemistry and biology so equally there is a spiritual principle upon which the whole of creation is governed; namely that if God's laws are broken, then trouble ultimately follows. It cannot and never will be any other way.

Many years ago Chinese farmers theorised that they could eat their big potatoes and keep the small ones for seed. Consequently they ate the big potatoes and planted the small ones. As a result of this unwise practise, after many years the Chinese farmers made the startling discovery that nature had reduced all their potatoes to the size of marbles! Through bitter experience they learned that they could not always take the best things of life for themselves and use the leftovers for seed. The law of nature decreed that the harvest would reflect the planting. This physical law cannot be overcome and the spiritual law governing the universe is just the same and just as certain - we reap what we sow.

Many people today take the big things of life for themselves and plant the leftovers. In other words instead of putting God first in their hearts and lives, they make Him last. They put their house, job, family, friends, hobby or whatever first and if by chance they have a spare slot of time, (provided all these other things remain unaffected), God then gets a look in. God is put last, yet He is the very One Who gave them all these things, (including life itself) in the first place! On top of all this, they expect by some crazy twist of spiritual law that their selfishness will be rewarded with further prosperity and when things go wrong they can't understand why! They wonder why the nation is in a mess, they wonder why they don't feel happy and they wonder why life seems to slip passed without their questions being answered about why we are here. They wonder why everything seems so pointless. Here today gone tomorrow.

A doctor demands total obedience from his patient regarding all the things that are necessary for his treatment. This will cover medicine, dosage, diet, rest and exercise. The doctor gives orders concerning these things not because he is being awkward but because it is absolutely necessary for health of his patient.

In the same way, Scripture describes Jesus Christ as being the Great Physician and He has indeed provided a prescription for the ills of our society (and indeed the ills of the world in general). The prescription He orders people to take is for their benefit and welfare and its called "Godly obedience". Can you imagine how our society and nation would be transformed, if say overnight everyone wholeheartedly started to live by the Ten Commandments?! Imagine the healing that would take place in broken homes across the land, imagine the feeling of safety people would experience as they walk the streets, imagine an end to corruption, greed and selfishness and the economic blessings that would follow.

"Godly obedience" is the cure for all our social and national ills. The Great Physician has provided the prescription; its now up to individuals to take it! Did you follow your Doctor's orders today by obeying Him in your thoughts and words and actions? Did you follow His instructions to read the Bible and pray? Did you sit quietly listening to your conscience in case the Doctor has some specific instructions concerning the day's events? None of these things are hard to do and the health of ones soul depends on it. As the Great Doctor says in Deuteronomy Ch 30 vs 11,15,18 "These commandments which I have given you are not too hard for you to understand. See I have set before you the choice between life and good, death and evil. Keep My commandments and I will bless you but if you turn away from them I warn you that you will surely perish."

Let us choose life! Always obey Doctor's orders!