Fences

We will jump the fence whenever we see the grass as greener on the other side.

Some Christians believe they are under the constant attack of the devil. I doubt that. I think their own desires are the enemy. By saying it’s the devil, it’s not our fault, and we have no responsibility to change their desires.

When we fight an enemy that isn’t there, we engage in a battle we can’t win—not until we can accept reality.

Imagination can take us in a variety of unrealistic directions. We can label ourselves as sinners and deprive God of the credit in changing us from who we once were. We can declare ourselves as healed, when we really aren’t, and deprive ourselves of the process through which we might find healing. We can expect calamity when a black cat crosses our path or we walk under a ladder. We can walk where angels would never go. We can imagine God protecting us when he’s not, or we can imagine he’s not when he actually is. We can imagine God is going to do something when he doesn’t, or we can imagine that he won’t, but he does.

Many Christians live in an imaginary world because they think it’s better than the real world. I don’t share that conviction, because I can’t improve my world if I deny its existence.

When Adam was told not to eat a certain fruit, God didn’t build a fence around the tree, and he didn’t build a fence around Adam. When Adam told Eve what God said, Adam didn’t build a fence around the tree, and he wasn’t constantly with Eve, preventing her from eating the fruit. We know that has to be true, because Scripture says Eve was deceived, not Adam. Therefore, Adam could not have been present to prevent her bad choice.

God is present everywhere, so we know God could have stopped Eve. Instead, he either caused or allowed Satan to tempt her. I think God sent Satan, because without the temptation, Eve had no reason to go against the commandment. Eve had to believe that eating the fruit was good for her, or she would never have taken a bite.

God had a fence built around Job, and God was the one who took away the fence and gave Satan certain liberties. Therefore, Job was right, from that limited perspective. “The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away,” even though Satan did the dirty work. What we must understand from this is that we face challenges to our faith from all directions, from the devil, evil spirits, deceiving people, a wicked society, and catastrophic weather that we call “acts of God.”

We need to understand the purpose of fences, why they are there or why they aren’t there. Whatever we imagine cannot be correct unless we know that God builds and tears down fences for our good, not to harm us.

Perhaps I should write a book about this. I am trying, but I’m not smart enough. I need God’s help. On my own, I can’t figure it out.

If you don’t know the truth or how to apply it, then ask God, because he’s eager to help and won’t make you feel stupid. — James 1:5 The Discussion Bible