(Friends, once again I am putting in a disclaimer here. As by now you would know I am a solid christian and I love my Saviour dearly. There are a few documents on this internet site now that are specifically for the ‘solid’ christian and this is one of them. Friends, if you haven’t discovered my Saviour yet I really do encourage you to do so within the documents on this website. Otherwise if you are grappling with matters deep within our ‘human nature’, I pray you find answers, encouragement and solace within this document.)
Dear friends, today I would like to touch briefly on human nature. See bad things do happen in this world and we need to be able to recognise, 1) how to ‘deal’ with it and 2) exactly what God intended when He implanted these ‘human tendencies’ deep within us. We will look at it from five different angles, Human Nature, Criticism, Injustice, Trauma – Ours and Trauma – Others. Let’s start with the basics, all round human nature.
Let’s go to the Bible first.
Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”
Let’s focus on that all important word ‘created’.
The dictionary definition is:- “bring (something) into existence.”
And back to the Bible:-
Genesis 1:27 “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”
God created man. Let’s go back to the Bible:-
Genesis 1:31 “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good…”
So we have established that God created us. We have also established that what God created “was very good”. So, what went wrong? Friends, look around us, everywhere there is strife, contention, violence and destruction. What we are looking at is the results of living for a few millenniums or so in Satan’s playground. This is the result of the curse of sin. This is Satan’s rule, his government. Nothing has gone wrong as such, rather the curse of sin, Satan’s rule has plunged this world into ruin. The world is falling apart left, right and centre. Disasters abound, violence is everywhere and Satan delights. Friends, by now I believe you know where I stand. I am a strong christian and yes, I believe Jesus is coming soon to take us home to heaven.
So in general friends, nothing has gone wrong with Jesus’ creation other than the fact that Satan has usurped the throne and taken control, and look at where it got him friends. Yes, the world is ruined, so many souls are lost and it has gotten Satan a one way ticket to hell, no returns.
Let’s take a look at our human nature as God intended it and what has happened to it today. Maybe we can find a path through this rocky pathway and make changes in the way we ‘view’ things. If we can control the mind we stand a better chance at negotiating the dangers ahead.
Friends, Adam and Eve were created perfect, sinless and given the power of choice. When Satan made his move and Adam and Eve fell into his trap the degeneration process began. Adam was very tall, about two to three times the size of people living today and he lived to be nine hundred and thirty years old. Now that’s a vast difference to where we are today. Our average height today is five feet and ten inches (according to the internet) and it is really a ‘big deal’ if anyone makes it to one hundred years old. So while our body is degenerating so also are the mental faculties that God designed to be a blessing. But there are things we can do to protect our feeble mind and the first one is to recognise exactly what is going on, recognise the situation for what it really is and then we can turn to Jesus for help. Well, we really should turn to Jesus first, then He will guide us through.
Let’s take a look at a few of the ‘human nature’s’ that really ‘get us down’.
Injustice:-
Dealing with ‘injustice’ is one of the ‘human nature’ emotions I would like to address today. This emotion can be very dangerous and it is one of the emotions that Satan preys upon the most. The feeling of injustice has worked people up to a fever pitch and when not contained it has caused people to lash out, to maim and even to kill. This feeling of injustice was originally instilled in us via the devil, it was Satan at the beginning that accused Jesus of injustice and he (Satan) has gone on to fill the human with ‘passion’ when any perceived injustice occurs. Now many times this injustice is, as stated above, ‘perceived’ and the victim of Satan is left wondering exactly what just happened, when they were filled with a wrath they couldn’t understand. But many a time this injustice is real, especially in today’s violent world. Let’s go to the word of God and see what He has to say about it.
Romans 12:19 “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”
So what does this mean to the christian today? Do we just pass the incident by? No friends we do not, we follow the paths of justice marked out in the courts of today but we must remember that this is the devil’s playground and the injustice incurred will be met with justice by the devil’s standard. Friends, it is imperative that we do not let injustice consume us. The human mind is fragile and it can be broken if we allow the devil to get on the band wagon and hype us up to a uncontrollable state of being. Remember what the Bible says:-
Hebrews 10:30 “For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.”
Dear friends, Jesus will not leave the guiltless to the justice of this world, it may seem hard and very unfair but remember friends:-
Exodus 34:7 “Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty…”
Every single word or action will be recorded, we will have our day in court and our tormenters will be held accountable for their crimes against us. Injustices done now will be retributed in the courts of heaven. Remember as we face these trials on earth that our time of justification will come, not on earth where the perpetrators ‘may’ receive a slap on the hand, but in heaven where they will be judged by heaven’s rules and their punishment will be eternal. Friends, it is not wise to keep these ‘injustices’ in the forefront of your mind, to constantly be going over and over them is a precipitous danger indeed. Every time you go over it your mind enhances the injustice, it grows upon your mind till your mind is in major danger of snapping. It is at this point that you may loose control of your mind completely, often with disastrous results. Many do not come back from a broken mind.
Friends, as we head into the time of the end many a injustice is going to be seen. Please friends, it is imperative that we control our minds. Yes it is wrong but friends we have a beautiful Saviour who is offering us justice and peace. Please friend, when you feel the weight of injustice bearing down upon you, please turn to Jesus. Block the overpowering need for justice, don’t contemplate revenge (these emotions come from the devil as he is eager to destroy) and leave everything in the hands of our blessed Saviour.
Hebrews 10:30 “For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord…”
Trauma – Ours:-
Dear friends, I would like to touch today on trauma. There are two different types of trauma, 1) trauma done to us and 2) trauma we see in others. Today we will touch on both. This mini document is on trauma done to us.
See this is how the mind works. When a tragedy, pain or trauma happens the mind automatically looks for something to blame it on. Take for example a broken arm, the physical pain has been caused by the broken arm but it was the accident that caused it, therefore the mind blames the accident. More intense trauma goes deeper. Take for example a cancer survivor, their physical pain for instance was caused by the chemotherapy therefore their mind blames the cancer, this is the mind’s natural defence mechanism, it needs to find something to ‘pin’ the trauma on, something to blame. This is for the protection of our very sanity.
Now in real time this ‘protection’ imbedded in human nature is for our benefit. See the human nature will blame whatever it sees as the cause, this will steady the mind and allow it to grab hold of a foundation. Then with time, the right environment, maybe counselling and sometimes medication the mind will heal and understanding and reason will be enough to stabilise the mind and return it to its natural state. So this human nature trait is a blessing.
But friends, what if our situation deprives us of the time, the ‘right environment’, the counselling or the medication? we may need to keep moving instantly. Also this world has become very weak and our minds do not have the mental capacity they used to. Satan is also on the bandwagon and he presses discouragement upon us to the point of our despair.
Friends, this could be a very real scenario in the future events and I want to impress upon you today the need to put into place ‘coping’ practices. We will be facing trauma and injustice and friends, as believers in the Seventh-day Adventist beliefs, Jesus is coming and it is our duty to prepare for it. Our minds need to be under strict control and in perfect harmony with Jesus. Friend, put your hand in the hand of our blessed Redeemer and allow Him to lead you through. Please friends remember the precious promises below.
Psalm 55:22 “Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee…”
Matthew 11:28 “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Trauma – Others:-
Dear friends, I would like to touch today on trauma. There are two different types of trauma, 1) trauma done to us and 2) trauma we see in others. Today we will touch on both. This mini document is on trauma we see in others.
Now friends, while the trauma isn’t necessarily ours it does still affect us greatly. Jesus created us with kind caring hearts and they do ‘go out’ to others in distress, it is ‘Human Nature’.
Friends, Jesus implanted deep within us this emotion of kindness, caring and general wellbeing for our fellow travellers in this rocky world. It is our natural reaction to feel sorry, feel concern and a need to help others in distress. But friends, while this was intended to be a blessing by Jesus Satan has distorted it and used it against us and to his advantage. Many a person has met with his doom by indulging too much in other’s sorrow and this is courtesy of the devil – not by Jesus. Jesus has put into place failsafe measures to help us avoid the devil’s tactics and I would like to address these today.
Friends, trouble is about to hit this world like never before, already it is playing out in other countries, it is only a matter of time till it comes to Australia. The time of trouble is on our doorstep and friends we need to train our mind to be able to cope with the atrocities we see. I cannot stress how important it is to hold our hearts steady, we cannot and must not let our hearts be overwhelmed by the pain and suffering of others. Emotion is a very powerful feeling and many people have been lost, taken over by the tide of emotion and that is why we have a lot of people on mind controlling medication. I am not saying here to be indifferent, we do genuinely care but we cannot allow their emotions overpower ours. Jesus knows we do care but He also knows our mental health cannot cope with this level of distress. Why do you think so many people in the public sector (ambulance drivers, police, soldiers) have serious mental breakdowns – yes, they have seen too much and their minds have broken. Jesus knows this and He understands.
During these traumatic events we really must be on guard. Our eyes will ‘see’ too much and the mind will endeavour to go down the ‘natural’ path, and we, my friends are going to have to stop it. As we mentioned in the document ‘Human Nature’ the mind will attempt to travel the natural path to answers, reasons and healing and friends we will have to prevent it. We can control the mind and keep other’s suffering outside our circle of defence and protect our hearts, our sanity.
This may sound like a hard call, it may sound heartless – but – we must remember that the human mind does have a limit on how much trauma it can absorb, once past that limit the mind starts to break apart, if not brought into check quickly that mind will shatter into millions of pieces, never again to be brought to reason. Friends, this is self preservation and I am endeavouring to warn you of the dangers that will be dodging us during this perilous time we are facing (or maybe friend you are already caught up in this web and are trying to escape). We must also remember the devil in the detail, Satan and his agents will be on hand magnifying every detail and pushing everyone on to destruction. This friend, is where we will have to hold onto Jesus like never before. It is imperative, as I mentioned above, that we realise that Jesus does understand, He is standing ready to uphold us and carry us through.
Let’s go to the Bible and read some precious promises of Jesus.
Isaiah 40:31 “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength…”
Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
And one of my favourites:-
Isaiah 41:10 “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”
Criticism:-
Friends, I believe this can be one of the hardest ‘emotions’ that we can learn to deal with. Our ‘Human Nature’ cringes under a tirade from someone else, whether they are in the right or not it doesn’t matter, it is still hard to listen to especially if they are going about it in a angry or demeaning attitude.
Friends, this mini document is aimed for those of us standing in the last days. As you know your Bible I won’t have to point out the obvious, yes we will be targeted by the devil and his agents criticising us and attempting to change our beliefs by force. Another group I would like to aim this document at is for those of us facing tribulation, constantly under the thumb of someone who enjoys to criticise. Well friend, if this is you I would like to turn your attention to the mini document on injustice (it is listed on the internet under Human Nature) and take heed to what is said below.
Criticism can be addressed in two categories, 1) positive and 2) negative. Firstly number 1) positive. Friends, this is where someone is trying to help you, it is said nicely and politely and has no intention of ‘dragging’ you down or of making you feel inferior, no, this form of criticism is to help you and can be a benefit. The second form of criticism, 2) negative criticism, is what I want to address here. This form of criticism is what has the ability to literally ‘send people mad’. People have literally ‘lost their minds’ and gone into, for example, previous work places with the intent to maim and destroy. The criticising words have so affected them that they literally lost control in their pain, anguish and despair. So friends, why does negative criticism impact upon us so? and what can we do about it?
Friends, as we said previously the human mind is fragile and constant battering in any form can so discourage it that it can give up the desire to keep living. At this point the devil also gets on the bandwagon and presses negativeness upon the mind. So how do we protect the mind? Friends, this mini document goes hand in hand with the one on injustice. People criticising in this negative way do not have their hearts in tune with God, they are also not taking into account their victim’s fragile nature, therefore this falls into the category of injustice and all the rules relating to injustice apply here. (The document ‘Injustice’ is also on this website.) We must hold the mind steady against these unjust tirades and look to Jesus, He will help us stay calm and not take the criticism to heart. The injustice will meet with justice in the courts above, for now lean on Jesus, hold onto Him and leave the unkind words in the sanctuary above to be dealt with there.
I believe the way we deal with it, our mannerisms so to speak are very important when dealing with these scenarios. Let’s pretend we are in a courtroom setting, we have been called up to defend our faith, (this is going to be a very real scenario for many of us) and we are facing a volley of criticism from the judge. Demeanour in these trials is going to be everything, I believe we need to look to examples from the past. Remember the apostles of the past, Stephen, Saul, – all stood before their accusers with a calm, peaceful demeanour. All were and will be strengthened of heaven, but it is imperative that we put our trust in Jesus. This same Jesus is with us today and He will lead us through, we just need to let Him drive and put our faith in Him.
So whenever you are facing criticism, whether just or unjust remember firstly, what can I learn from it (positive criticism) and secondly, let Jesus carry you through. Remember those people will be held accountable for injustices done, you just need to let Jesus lead you through and keep your demeanour.
Let’s finish with some Bible promises:-
2nd Timothy 3:12 “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”
2nd Corinthians 12:10 “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”
Friends, Jesus is very kind and understanding. He knows our walk on this earth is hard but He is with us every step of the way. Friend, put your hand in His and let Him lead you through.