LIVING A LIE
Philippians 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.
I love old hunting stories, old hunting photos and antique mounts of trophy animals. Over the years I have seen some great trophy animal mounts and when I heard the stories the truth was that the deer were taken illegally. These were back in the day when much of the hunting in our part of the world was to feed your family and hunting seasons were rarely followed by the hungry.
There was one story in particular of a huge whitetail buck that was hanging on a man's wall. He told an elaborate story of his harvest. A few weeks later I was told by a family member that the buck was actually killed many years earlier by an uncle who has since passed away.
I've often wondered first, why someone would want to make up a false story like that and second, why you would claim a trophy that was someone else's.
As Paul finished his letter to the Christians in Philippi he instructed them to remain true, honorable, pure etc etc... Not only were they to remain these things but they were to dwell on them. Dwelling on them is more than just thinking about them but is to meditate constantly on them. When we do this they become internalized, a part of our thought process. Instead of having to decide to do the right thing, we do it constantly out of habit.
Our country over the last several years I feel has been in a terrible upheaval. I don't mind protests and marches, it’s our rights, if they are peaceful. What I do mind is the things that are the exact opposite of Biblical truths and those things that Paul instructs us to dwell on.
Whether we like what is going on within our government or not, if we are truly a Christian, we are still responsible to live out God's instructions. To break away from this is to tear apart what we are called to stand for.
Anyone that is going to claim to be a follower or believer in Christ and what He's done for us needs to be careful of what else you do.
Like the hunter deceiving others and living a lie, we can't be caught up in a life that is far from True, Honorable, Right, Pure, Lovely etc... Someday we will answer for it.
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