ECHOES AND MINIONS

The past never really dies in our memories. Sometimes the memories we wish would be forgotten seem to be the one’s we can honestly stop thinking about. They become like echoes that haunt us when some current experience reminds us of a past pain.

Naturally if one is a follower of Christ, Satan will find some minion of evil to do what he can to create such echoes. You don’t even have to be called to the office of pastor or some other significant role to experience that kind of attack.

One thing that to me always signals that such incidents are inspired by the devil is when one is a victim of hate for no obvious reason. I can’t begin to think of the times in my life when somebody went out of their way to cause me harm even when I had done literally nothing wrong to them. What is so amazing is how such people are so blinded by such unreasonable behavior they can’t even appreciate how such behavior is about the same as wearing a big symbol on their chest declaring, “THE DEVIL’S PROUD WORKER!”

That is how I feel about it at times. Honestly it is so aggravating at times to go through such moments, yet I know you can’t avoid them entirely either.

When it happens enough in your life it is natural to ask the obvious question “Why me?” I think it is a fair question. It is too bad that the answer isn’t as easy to come by as we might hope.

What I think the Lord has helped me to understand out of it is how, first of all this is not the end of life. Thus God has all eternity to wipe away our tears. And for me that is something I yearn for so much with the grief storms collect in my soul.

Secondly, because this life when one is following Christ belongs to him, he does have the right to use a person to try the hearts of men. Believe me I’ve sure found myself used for that purpose on many occasion. I wish I could say most people passed the test, but that wouldn’t be the truth. In most cases the person simply end up proving how some hate they never even admitted to truly did dominate their heart. A lot more than they ever would admit.

Imagine standing before God thinking you were so good and righteous and then he lifts up some soul you treated horribly and abusively and says, “How you treated this one of my children is the real proof of what resides in your heart.”

I’m not suggesting that any of us can avoid doing things that are wrong. And neither can we avoid at times causing others pain in all cases. But I do know when we have any conscience at all, God’s spirit can convict us of our failing. So sad is the person who never sees this truth or lies about it. For them the only place they will come to face it is in eternity. That is hardly a time I want to be the first time I find out when I was more a cause of the wrong kind of echoes than a source of hugs. Hopefully God will touch us all in ways we will listen when his echoes show us a better way.