Things Don't

                 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. (Galatians 6:7)

Normally, when we read this verse, we think about something like the opening ceremonies of the Olympics in Paris. The Olympic Committee made things worse by apologizing for any offense it might have caused. They’re not sorry they did it. They’re sorry you were offended. Maybe they’re sorry they got caught and called out. Some people are boycotting the Olympics. I couldn’t boycott them because that would have involved choosing not to watch them because of what they did. I had and have no plans to watch, though I’ll admit that I have watched a couple of Ms. Biles’ routines on Facebook. They’re sort of hard to avoid. Yes, she’s phenomenal and mighty, but some of the shine came off when I realized she was doing bits of the same routine on the balance beam that she did in the floor exercises. Maybe that’s normal now.

Getting back to the verse, the problem is that Paul didn’t write to the Olympic Committee, or to non-Christians. He wrote to the Galatian Church. Outsiders were trying to convince them that to be Christians, they had to be Jews. In other words, they were mocking what Jesus had done. They were seeking to do in their flesh what Jesus had accomplished for them, and teaching others to do the same. That process could not end well.

An Old Testament account comes to mind. The twelve spies had returned from investigating the Promised Land with a “good news/bad news” report. Yes, the land was wonderful, but there were giants… The Israelites decided to return to Egypt. When Moses told them they would wander in the wilderness for forty years, they decided they’d rather take their chances in the Promised Land against the giants. It didn’t end well. Not only did they get trounced, but they wandered in the wilderness for forty years and only two men who were of fighting age at the time were allowed to enter the land.

The same sort of thing happened when Israel attacked Ai without consulting God. When we try to do without God, in the name of God, things don’t  end well.