NY—A Dangerous State of Mind

A few weeks ago, the state of New York passed legislature that legalized gay marriage. In essence, the men and women who craft the law have redefined the very nature of what “marriage” is. And the dancing in the streets and celebrations that broke out nationwide would seem to indicate that many people in the country are in agreement. But as Proverbs 14:12 reminds us, “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.”

To put things in perspective, New York is not the first state to allow same-sex marriages. It’s actually the 6th. What makes New York so significant is the sheer size of its population, making it the largest state to allow it. (It is worth noting that that California would have held that distinction had it not been for proposition 8, which specifically defined marriage as between one man and one woman.) The United States is also not the first country to legalize gay marriage. There are 10 nations that allow same-sex marriage, including our neighbor, Canada. Those who support gay marriage point to those countries as “proof” that these types of unions don’t necessarily destroy a nation.

But that brings us to the key underlying issue—the destruction of our moral fabric. As a Christian, I define my morality by the principles of God’s Holy Word. My Bible is my gauge against which I measure my morals, my ethics, and my behavior. Jealousy, gossip, and hatred are some of the things that I know are wrong because of what I’ve learned from the Bible. This is not to say that I am perfect and have never given in to any of those feelings—but I strive to overcome them to lead a life that pleases God.

Without the Bible, on what would any of the laws of this nation even be based? I wrote a piece some time ago about the Christian foundation of America’s founding fathers. Although one reader vehemently disagreed with me, I believe just as strongly that the Biblical principles of those leaders are evident in almost every aspect of the founding of this country. It is by no mere coincidence that our original government buildings, our currency, and many of our oldest historic monuments are laced with scripture and religious imagery. And why in many courts, defendants have been traditionally asked to swear on the Bible. It has been the basis of this country’s moral barometer.

But with the legalization of gay marriage and other ideas that fly against Christian morality, against what do we measure our morals? Do we all focus only on the constitutional words “pursuit of happiness” and reject the responsibility and discipline that were intended to go with it?

Proverbs 12:15 says, “The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice.” For Christians, that advice should come from the Word of God.

Disconnected

Sometimes the way that God gets you to make a greater connection with Him is to temporarily disconnect you from the rest of the world. Over the past couple of weeks, I found myself in a state of technological disconnection. But what I gained from the Lord was totally worth it.

There are times when we are so “plugged in” to the world around us that we are completely out of touch with the spiritual side of things. A few years ago, there was an MTV music program called “Unplugged.” The intent of the show was to allow musicians to perform their #1 hit songs without all of the glitz and glimmer of studio work. It was just the singer with an acoustic guitar or piano (or some other non-electric instrument). The audience was treated to the raw beauty of the song without distraction.

To truly appreciate the beauty of life in Him, sometimes God needs us to disconnect us from the distractions of everyday life. I’ve even heard someone say that being incarcerated was one of the best things that every happened to him, because it isolated him from his terrible lifestyle and forced him to pay attention to God.

There is also a tremendous amount of freedom that comes with being disconnected. After getting over the initial shock of being outside of your comfort zone, you begin to realize just how restrictive some of your “important” worldly connections really are. True freedom is in the Spirit of the Lord and living according to the way God commands.

James 4:8 begins with the words, “Come near to God and He will come near to you.” It should always be our priority to draw closer to Him. Let’s not wait until we’re so inundated with the busy-ness of the things around us that we are forced to disconnect from them.

Let’s stay connected with the cross.