Renewing the Obvious (by Walt Henrichsen)

With or without believing in the existence of God, certain things are obviously true. No one can be unborn, and in all likelihood, no one can cease to exist. Life is filled with perpetual opposition. We do not decide when we are born, who our parents are, the color of our skin, sex, etc. About all we can do is determine how we will respond to the things over which we have no control.

Our culture insists that happiness is a right, and that we are victims if we are not happy. In English the word “happy” comes from “happens, happenstance.” It is a fortunate, momentary event, not a state of being. We now insist that we should be perpetually happy, an assumption that is destined to make us angry. It is in-the nature of things that our perception is that in most relationships of life we give to the relationship more than we receive. This`is a universal truth that must be factored into our lives if we wish to relate properly to the world in which we live.

lf you insist on living with unrealistic expectations. you are destined to live life an angry frustrated person no one wishes to be around. No one can force another to view life correctly; it is a decision each person must make, the consequences of which will be carried into eternity.

The terror of the Lord is a mindset that permeates the entire ethos of Scripture. Most repudiate this as unbiblical, unhealthy, and unnecessary. As you know, there can be no authority in any sphere life without fear. If you are not terrorized over the thought of answering to God, you will never be in submission to Him.