Wednesday, April 4, 2012

The Art Of Being Made A Fool

It was time for another beer run one night, and there was no money. There was a group of about 7 of us, and we all sat around for a few minutes trying to come up with an idea to get beer. Not wasting any time, I decided that I was going to steal the beer, and I needed a driver. One of the girls decided she would drive my car, and I told everyone we would be back in a few minutes. I had never done anything like this before, and I wanted to feel the rush. That is what I told my friends. After we drove around nervously for several minutes, I finally selected the BP on the corner of Clark and Memorial. I prepared myself for what I was about to do, and I got out of the car.

As I went inside the store, I kept an even pace, and I went to grab the beer from the cooler. I was 19 at the time, so I wasn't even old enough to buy it in the first place. Grabbing a carton of cigarettes on the way to the front counter, I made eye contact with the cashier, and then took off running toward the side door at the last second. There I was, on the run with a case of beer and a carton of cigarettes. I quickly got in the car, and my friend hesitated, looking at me with wide eyes as she said "You didn't see the cop?!" I was so oblivious to my surroundings that I didn't see that an officer was walking in one side of the store as I ran out the other door.

Go! Go! Go! I was screaming for her to go, and we were both scared out of our minds. Sure enough, the officer had ran out to his car in pursuit, and we were pulled over less than a half-mile down the road. The hope I felt inside was quickly taken away, and I didn't know what to do. They slapped the cuffs on me, and they took me off to jail. I was so blind that I had run out of a gas station with stolen merchandise as a cop was walking in the other side. You know how I felt? I felt like a fool. I had let Satan blind me so badly that I didn't even realize how much my back was to God. How could I have let this happen?

As Christians, we go through life thinking about how we can live for God, as we make the right choices and help others receive the gift of salvation. Viewing God as a safety net and feeding our own egos, we feel that spotting trouble is easy. If we choose to participate in sinful activities occasionally, that's fine because our foundation in God will rectify our situation. After all, we are entitled to the free gift once we receive it right? This is where we lose ourselves, and Satan's cunning ways take over. We are never entitled to anything that God gives us. This ego trip, courtesy of Satan, is one of the steps he takes to catch us off guard. God gives us everything we have, and we deserve absolutely nothing. Without him, we are absolutely nothing. It is so evident how a personal daily relationship with Jesus and his Word is needed in order to survive.

We wonder how bad things happen to us and those we love. We have created this disaster, from the first sin to the current situation of this world. We consistently revert back to our own egos, thinking we can determine on our own how to live. This is how Satan deceives us, and then he is able to continue deceiving us without us even knowing. The battle that is taking place is something that we will fully comprehend only after death. Everything we view evil in this world is still seen through a filter of hope. We put limitations on evil based on our own narrow-minded thinking, but true evil is pure evil, and it is relentlessly attempting to confuse and blind everyone. If we go into the battle unprepared, we lose the battle.
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8 comments:

  1. another winner Jess, keep 'em coming!!

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    1. Thanks! I am going to post again tomorrow.

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  2. I've read your blog everyday so far and I think your doing a wonderful job. We've all made mistakes in our lives and I commend you for being willing to share yours. God truly does love us unconditionally.

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    1. Thanks Valerie! He sure does, and it makes all the difference. I hope you keep reading, and I'm glad you have liked it so far. I really want to grow with this blog, as I think that is what God wants from me out of this and maybe it will help some people along the way too.

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    2. Sounds like God is really speaking to you and I believe you are right about it possibly being able to help someone else. God bless!

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    3. Yes he is, and I sure hope so. Thanks Valerie! I will be posting here in a little while.

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  3. Awesome Jesse. Everyday is just a new beginning and the start of great things.
    Kim

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    1. Thanks Kim! That is very true. I think you have hit on something I would like to work on personally. It is easy to wake up and forget the blessing that each day really is. Thanks for letting me know you were here too!

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