This week’s Truth Keepers for Truth Seekers column is about discovering who you truly are, living a life that is worthwhile and not just survive.
By now, those who have followed the train of thought about “conscience”, have hopefully figured out what kind of conscience they themselves have.
The question that remained was: what about children or people whose mind has been so severely affected that they seem to have no power over their conscience? Are they excused?
But first ask yourselves: “Do I personally have an excuse and if so which one?”
Here some pointers on the initial question: “Are mentally handicapped children excused?”
Pointer 1: When we choose to read or take in information or listen to someone, we become accountable for what we do with that information. How to act on it, how to assimilate it, and if need be let others know about it, if useful for them.
People are accountable according to the level of mind capacity they have. For example, when Jesus lived on earth, He spoke often in parables. He taught simple, so from the youngest to the oldest, it was understandable for them on their level and everyone listening to Him could make an informed decision. Can the person you have a question about make an informed decision?
Pointer 2: If we could divide the population in simple groups, one division would be:
1) Those who believe the existence on this earth is all there is. It starts and ends here. There is nothing beyond that.
2) Those who believe there is a spiritual dimension which influences our physical seen dimension.
3) Those who have chosen an all powerful all-knowing all-present God, Who created this world and us and holds us accountable for the choices we make in the time we live on this earth.
4) Those who cannot be held accountable because their mind is not capable of making informed decisions.
The variable here is, the degree of accountability God knows each person has. If God is the final Being or Judge who will decide what will happen to us when we finally stand before Him, will He not take into account our mental capacity? Will He be fair and just enough of what will and what will not be accounted to a person?
Pointer 3: Be glad you do not have to be the one to figure that out. Agree on the fact, there is an all powerful being Who is just and fair. However at the same time He is love personified which is a total other dimension of Love. We can see it by looking at the One that was God incarnated in the flesh over 2000 years back by reading His story in the Word of God AKA The Bible.
We will have to face Him but we can come to grips with that and at peace if we let our conscience speak and listen to that small inner voice that everyone CAN hear, IF they get quiet enough. We can answer for ourselves. Not for someone else. Do not be too quick to judge someone else. Start with yourself.
Pointer 4: When a young person’s mind is severely affected by medicines, vaccines, and more, leave it up to the One who knew about it although never was the cause of it. It is possible that that person gets healed and even gets their mental capacity back as God designed it. For the rest, can we leave some things up to Him?
Pointer 5: Let’s look at our little State or Nation here. We will need something drastic to get some or most consciences changed or headed in the right direction. No matter what category, group or religion you follow or are in here in our State, corruption has crept in like a weed everywhere it seems. Corruption results in wrong choices and consequent actions. It can be contagious as “if they did it, why not me?”
What do we need: Is it another “revival?” Or something dramatic that will cause us to stop and look and change? Do we need to look outwards? Look at other sources or can we look inward and say: “Shouldn’t I be revived first? Shouldn’t I be the one to change primarily?”
Is there hope for our State? We are known as one of the States with the highest population of Christians. However, the young generation of Christians is getting tired of promises that do not seem to be fulfilled, of a God that is talked about but His very presence seem to be somewhere out in space.
When I asked our kids who they thought in their class was an upright truthful child, they could hardly count a handful in their class. Although it seemed there were a lot of kids from so called good families, Christian at that.
Older kids have hardly seen or tasted the real presence of God.
What has stopped the very presence of God, the One whose power, signs and miracles were so apparent 50-75 years back and that our grandparents still remember?
Could it be because the next generation slowly let their standard of morality and character drop to where now you can hardly see the difference between what should be known as a God-fearing Christian, displaying a powerful loving and just God and one that follows no God, no faith and has- an anything goes, let’s embrace and accept anything and anyone standard.
God wants mature sons and daughters that are disciples looking, walking and talking like Jesus, making people sit up because they now SEE, TASTE, SMELL and HEAR God’s true presence through all of us Christians, united instead of divided!
We do not need gatherings singing itself to sleep, cults and false religions capturing our children.
We can still believe for those whose hearts seem hardened by refusing to compromise and help people turn from their sins.
Those promoting greed, covetousness, and everything Paul warns us about in Titus and Timothy, we can turn away from. If God starts stirring hearts and THAT gets contagious, people are becoming aware and taking a good look at their own lives. They will start falling on their knees in front of a God who still loves them in spite because repentance- a true turnaround has begun! That only God can do. However we then, can be at the right place at the right time to catch those who will need God fearing men and women, loving them back into a living relationship with Him and fulfilling their destiny.
Psalm 15 is one poem that seem to fit our little nation here.
A psalm of David.
1 Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord?
Who may enter your presence on your holy hill?
2 Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right,
speaking the truth from sincere hearts.
3 Those who refuse to gossip
or harm their neighbors
or speak evil of their friends.
4 Those who despise flagrant sinners,
and honor the faithful followers of the Lord,
and keep their promises even when it hurts.
5 Those who lend money without charging interest,
and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent.
Such people will stand firm forever.
(Israel was originally not a mercantile people, and the law aimed at an equal distribution of wealth, not at enriching some while others were poor. The spirit of the law still is required—not to take advantage of a brother’s suffering to lend at interest catastrophic to him—but the letter of the law is cancelled, and a loan at moderate interest is often of great service to the poor. Hence, it is referred to by our Lord in parables, apparently as a lawful as well as recognized usage. (Matt. 25:27; Luke 19:23)” (A.R. Fausset, Bible Encyclopedia and Dictionary).
“The Old Testament forbade Israelites from charging interest against one another (their own people) (Exo_22:25; Lev_25:35-37; Deu_23:19; cf. Psa_15:5…); but interest on money loaned to Gentiles was permitted (Deu_23:20).
Let’s check our hearts.
Can we agree that we only have one life, that soon will pass and ask ourselves what is it that will truly last?
Don’t get so busy that you cannot take a moment to ponder what is really worthwhile.
You are meant to live a life that is full of all the best God created for you.
Discover who you truly are.
And live a life that is worthwhile. Don’t just survive. You are meant for more!
Blessings
Akhrienuo