What if what we are experiencing is God’s wrath at us for not turning to him and turning away from our sin? I know many people balk at that. Many people would ask “what kind of God would do that?” Yet, if you really examine this, you will see something deeper. Think of God as a father. He is dealing with children running amok in the world, who don’t go to him, his word, they live as if there is no care in the world. They dump toxins on the earth, they belittle their neighbor, they worship their homes, their children, their work, their status, their abilities, their power. All the type of things that we find so common in our society but that we don’t look at as being sin. I’m a good person. I didn’t kill anyone. I donated to that charity for the homeless, for the kids’ camp, to the food bank. But those are excuses for what we aren’t really doing. And that’s being in relationship with one another and holding those relationships so highly that we don’t seek to compete with others, nor do we seek to be better than others. Instead, we seek to lift each other up—and as we lift others, so they lift us up as well.

What would it look like to do this? I often think and hear from others: This won’t work, that person won’t do it. So I have to look after myself. If I am not for myself, who will be for me? And that is simply antithetical.  God is for you, therefore, go as He goes and do as He does. That’s why it’s important to remember the first two commandments, as the others will follow if you do:

Love your LORD your God with all your heart and all your soul

And

Love your neighbor as you love yourself.

Holding yourself to this standard is important, because it is only through this that we can show the depth of love that the Father has for us.

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