Christian Living
Ramblings of an Old Man:
A Straddled Fence
Have you ever straddled the fence on a certain subject, or decision, or way of life? The Bible tells us we can only serve one master. God’s Word says, “You are either for Me or against me.” So, if you cannot decide which to do or who to serve, you straddle the fence, thinking over your options. Many will see the allure and draw that emits from the worldly “Dark Side’! It will promise you the world and all its delights, and the fulfillment of all the hidden wants and desires of the flesh.
What God requires, on His side of the fence, is belief and faith, and to love and serve Him. Your reward is His promise of eternal life. Does that not sound like a no-brainer? Yet, many opt for the Dark Side, why? They straddle the fence between good and evil. They fidget and squirm, make excuses, and whine and finally make a move to get off of the fence and just stand on the Dark Side, maybe keeping one hand on the fence, testing the waters, see what it’s like (translated: See if God strikes them down!).
From the moment after that first bite of the forbidden fruit that Adam partook of, mankind became a dying and sinful race. The subtlety and deceitfulness of Lucifer easily captures our attention, and we are quickly sucked into a life of human desires with no boundaries, no restrictions, no limits, and no nagging conscience. So many will be deceived, thus the way to destruction is so wide, and the path to eternal life is so narrow. The loss of all fears of retribution and morals seems to come quick and easy.
And yet, once you have tasted everything the Dark Side has to offer, you still feel hollow inside, you still feel unfulfilled, no complete satisfaction; there is an emptiness within. “Is this all there is to life”? Why do we feel this way? You feel this way because you were not formed and created for that life style, for that purpose. We were created for fellowship with the Creator, not as programmed robots, but as created beings granted free will of choice. God wanted us to “freely” choose to love and serve Him in close fellowship and to be thankful and appreciative of the life and joys He would grant us.
Some of these empty, wasted souls may find themselves under a nagging remembrance of words from their past, words that were spoken by caring parents or dedicated Sunday School teachers. Conviction grabs their hearts, as sorrow fills their conscience, as repentance rages through their soul, and they turn around, franticly looking for that fence that is so distant now, so distant that there is not even a glimpse of it! And as panic sets in, they pick up the pace; they enter into a trot, they go into a full running rage, searching for the other side of that fence for redemption. Have they strayed so far and long that the fence is gone forever? Are they even heading in the right direction?
No, wait! There it is! So distant, will they ever reach it? “Dear God, how far we have strayed and run away from You and your teachings. Will there ever be another chance for us?” And then, there it is, within the horizon, and now is within reach. They slow their weary and exhausted body back down to a trot, then to a walk, gasping harshly for each life saving breathe of air. Thirty feet, twenty feet, ten feet; they reach out and grab the top rail! One foot reaches up to the lowest board, and they hoist themselves up to the top rail and sorrowfully straddle it once more, ending a journey full circle from where it began. How ironic!
They hesitate for a moment on that fence, and look back to see just how far the Dark Side took them; they recall the allure, the fantasy, the desire that tugged on their hearts, their “human will” still remains so strong. But this time they make the decision to get off the fence and walk toward the “Light of Redemption”. Oh sure, some will still not get off the fence. They continue to straddle it, never making a commitment one way or the other. And yes, some will allow their past to draw them back over that fence, never giving over completely to the “Light”. But when that final trumpet blows, no more decisions will be needed. The choice will end, judgment will begin, and we will face God with whatever last decision we make. Which side of the fence will our Father find us, and how far from it will we be, or will He find some still straddling the fence of indecision?
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