You Better Stop That!

I was out cooking a couple of steaks on the grill for supper and I happened to catch a conversation between two boys in the neighborhood. The older one was telling the younger boy that he had better stop doing whatever he was doing. He kept telling him repeatedly but it had no effect on the younger brother. Finally the older brother had enough and smacked his brother with the Star War light saber. That got his brother's attention! He grabbed his light saber and went inside. It didn't take long for the older brother to follow him into the house. I know why. He wanted to make sure he got to tell his side of the story. I know that because I did that once while I was a kid. I did something to my brother Doug and he told me to stop but of course I didn't listen and Doug reached the end of his patience and came flying up the steps into the apartment and proceeded to break the bathroom door open where I had taken refuge. He made sure I learned why I should have paid attention to his warnings and not kept up my behavior. I learned that when he tells me to knock something off that was bothering him I had better do it.

I thought about some of the things we do that God does not like, or if I was to be honest, He says He hates. God tells us in His Word that He calls somethings abominations and that He lets us know that we need to stop those things or we will face His wrath and judgment. I don't think I need to list them because most of us know what they are. He lays out what He wants us to do in the 10 commandments. These commands are not just a list of do's and dont's! They are His way of introducing us to His righteous character. He wants us to have a relationship with Him and made that possible by sending His precious Son to pay for our sin and receive God's forgiveness. The problem is that many do not want to accept God or His plan and will face the judgment all sinners will face. They don't have to but by not choosing His forgiveness they reject His love and seal their own fate. God loves everyone and doesn't want anyone to perish. There is nothing so bad that we have done that God can't forgive us! All we need to do is to ask Him!

As for the boys, they seemed to get past the argument and were back outside playing together once again. If we could be like kids and be able to forgive and forget!