Dear Readers,
Hello again, and I hope this finds you well. Thanks for
subscribing to this monthly update and taking a few minutes
to consider with me some of the deeper things of life.
I'm not familiar with Norman Dubeski, but I recently
read an observation attributed to him that is worth pondering:
"So, people who reject God usually
end up creating society as a god in their own image. They
demand that people sacrifice themselves for the good of
society, the race, the ethnic group, the church, the tribe,
the nation, or the community. However, these things are
incapable of having purposes in and of themselves."
I am more familiar with the apostle Paul, at least
through his writings preserved in the Bible. He, too, studied
why people have historically rejected God, what they have
substituted in His place, what has happened as a result
and the question of purpose.
I'll give you a quote from Paul to consider in a
moment, but first think about this question of purpose.
You may remember a scene from the movie Forrest Gump,
where the simple-minded Forrest somberly asks his mother, "What
is my destiny, Momma?" She couldn't answer him—how
many people can?—but the childlike Forrest nailed
the heart of the matter for all humanity! For without destiny—purpose—we
have no reason for being, or else we are left to devise
our own. In doing so, we inevitably create conflict, simply
because with so many people around determining for themselves
what they want in life, their personal desires and goals
will sooner or later clash with what others are seeking
for themselves. At the very least, in the absence of purpose,
life is empty and devoid of meaning.
The lack of purpose
can be traced directly back to rejecting God. Paul described it this way in a fascinating discourse
in the first chapter of Romans:
"Because, although they knew God, they did not glorify
Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their
thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing
to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of
the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible
man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping
things" (verses 21-23).
In the context of clear evidence of God's creation
(verse 20), this human approach sounds like the theory of
evolution, doesn't it? Going on, Paul describes how
the chain of consequences unfolds:
"And even as they did not like to retain God in their
knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those
things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness,
sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness;
full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they
are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud,
boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful" (verses
28-31).
Anyone unfamiliar with Paul might think he was a modern
writer! The fact is, these issues are timeless. Whether
today or 2,000 years ago, those willing to "retain
God in their knowledge" can truly come to understand
whether or not they have a purpose and what it is. Not the
man-made inventions, but the God-ordained purpose for life!
We need to know because, as Paul so eloquently pointed out,
our destiny shapes our thinking, and our thinking shapes
our character!
 If you don't have our booklet What
Is Your Destiny? I hope you will read it, download
it or order the print version right now. It is eye-opening
and life-changing!
Until next month,
Clyde
Kilough
President
United Church of God
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