Sink or Swim

Who's wagon have you been hitching your cart to? In politics, different men align themselves to different "causes", different wagons. Sometimes they don't know exactly where this "cause" will take them; but, once they've made up their minds, they won't change. Sometimes the saddest story will be one of a healthy person choosing a sick cause; either for the right reasons or for convenience.

We can read of this happening in Jesus' times. People had aligned themselves to God, but had not taken into account His goals and His aims. Saul was a good example. He had chosen to serve God. His direction or method to serve God was to persecute, hunt down and take part in the killing of Christians. We first hear of him in Acts 7:58, when the disciple Stephen was killed. Saul watched over the coats of those who did the killing. Saul was very zealous for his "cause"; which was to hunt down those who didn't serve God as he and the priests thought they should. Neither Saul nor the others realized they had hitched their carts to a sinking wagon, a lost cause. They were so blinded by their cause that they didn't realize that God was trying to lead them down a new and better pathway, a pathway with hope.

In spite of the plans of the Pharisees and the Sadducees, God was continuing the fullfillment of a plan He had started before Adam and Eve. He even spoke of it to the serpent in the garden of Eden. (Gen. 3:15) All through the Bible, God told of His ultimate plan; but, people were so blinded they refused to see. (Isaiah 53) They were so intently devoted to their cause, they couldn't see they had wandered from the right path and were blindly rushing down a dead end. How sad it is to see such blindness. Saul's spiritual blindness was removed after he was physically blinded on the road to Damascus. (Acts 9) Imagine his shock to realize how blindly he had been acting in pursuit of an unjust, unrighteous "cause".

We can see the same blindness today. Some churches are pursuing the idea of appearing righteous so greatly, that they forget being righteous in their hearts. We can also see this same blindness in daily life. One example of this are those who protect the freedom of speech to the point that revelers of decency have more freedom to curse and put down good behavior; than does the average citizen have freedom to protect against perversion and obscenity on the streets of our cities. For example: The "right" to burn the flag and the "right" to expose people to homosexual behavior without people being allowed to name it for what it truly is.

In the past, burning the flag (for which people have died by the thousands in wars), was a criminal activity unless done with respect, to properly dispose of an old ragged flag. Also in the past, children in schools were not taught that it's okay to be homosexual, that it's just another choice of lifestyle. In nature, this causes a species to become extinct. In God's eyes, it is an abomination. These two things are just part of a "cause" that some people have aligned themselves to, without looking at the consequenses; such as, disappearing patriotism and rampant lewd behavior.

The cause Saul had aligned himself with was leading to murder, nepotism, tyranny, unjust taxes, unethical behavior and other results on the part of the religious leaders of those particular times. Jesus had short words for them. He spoke of how they would devour widows' homes, lay heavy burdens on others and not lift a finger.

Back then, to touch a dead thing was to commit an act of uncleanliness that would require cleansing. And yet, Jesus called these religious leaders whitewashed tombs full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. (Matt. 23) This is truly a warning to those following an unrighteous "cause" or sinking wagon.

Think then on this; What wagon have you hitched your cart to? It's final destination will ultimately be yours too. Do you want to go there also? Does this wagon, or cause, lead to life everlasting or everlasting torment? Please choose carefully.

by Pat Goodwin