People of Principle
Genesis 22:1-22
In a society that makes choices based on feelings, we need, now, more than ever before to return to our biblical principles. Our situations don’t dictate our decisions – our principles do! Some of the most important choices that people make in a lifetime are being made on whether it feels good or not.
This mentality has even crept into the church where people do or don’t do things in the church based on whether or not they ‘feel’ like doing it, even to the point of leaving and finding another church that makes them ‘feel’ better. We all know that it is hard to make the right choice in the heat of the moment. Having said that, we are not to be governed by our feelings – we are to be people of principle. Emotions change, principles don’t!
We are to live our lives on the Principle of Trust (vs.1-2) Imagine God asked you to give back to him the thing you love the most. Some would say, “Take anything God, but not this.” This would be where our emotions and our principles would come in conflict with each other. We know what we want to do in the flesh, but in principle we should trust God and know that He knows better than us in every situation because He is a wonderful and sovereign God.
It’s easy to say you trust him, but with everything? Without reservation we must trust that God’s plans will always come to pass precisely when and how he intends them to. God can be trusted with our families, our lives and our hearts. The principle of trust will always be your best choice, so do you trust Him? Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.
We are to live our lives on the Principle of Obedience (vs.3-6) Without action, our words mean very little and this is where the principle of obedience is tested. Are we ready to actually go through with what God calls us to do, no matter how difficult? Again, emotions would tempt us to do what is easy and selfish. Without wavering, we must respond in obedience, regardless of our emotions, reason and logic. 1 Samuel 15:22 Obedience is far better than sacrifice. Listening to him is much better than offering the fat of rams.
We are to live our lives on the Principle of Faith (vs.7-10) The principle of faith is tested when we actually lay it all on the line and believe God for the best. We don’t know how it will work out, but God will always be faithful, we can count on that! It will be your faith that will carry you through while being obedient.
We must also believe in faith, that He will always come through on His promises. 2 Timothy 2:11-13 This is a true saying: If we die with him, we will also live with him. If we endure hardship, we will reign with him. If we deny him, he will deny us. If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself.
So often we make decisions in the heat of the moment, instead of taking a few minutes and choosing based on principles of trust, obedience, and faith. Jesus was the perfect example of what it means to live this kind of life, even though it meant him giving his own life for ours. What tests has God brought into your life where he is challenging your principles? Will you be governed by your often volatile and ever changing emotions, or will you be a person of principle?
Grace & Peace