THE REASON AND THE REAL REASON

  If I have learned anything in my life, it is that for most things we do we have two reasons. The reason we give and the real reason.

  The reason we give is the politically correct, well-reasoned, people pleasing response. It, however, isn’t always the real reason. Our real reason may be petty, or self-serving. We may have it but we can’t say it, so we come up with another reason for our action

  A great example of this occurs in 1^st Kings:

 “Jeroboam said in his heart, "Now the kingdom will return to the house of David. If this people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will return to their lord, even to Rehoboam king of Judah; and they will kill me and return to Rehoboam king of Judah." So the king consulted, and made two golden calves, and he said to them, "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem; behold your gods, O Israel, that brought you up from the land of Egypt."

1st KINGS 12:26-28

  Jeroboam is fearful of losing his new power. He knows the connection The Lord has with the line of David. He fears his people making that connection. So he concocts a way to keep the people from worshiping the Lord in Jerusalem.

  However, that isn’t what he tells the people. It is for their convenience. These idols are as good as the commanded temple worship. He masks his self-interest in concern for his people.

  People still do this today. We don’t like a person put up for elder but we claim we oppose them for a pseudo scriptural objection. We say we can’t afford to give more but in reality, we rather spend it on ourselves. We claim an unauthorized practice will help the church to grow but really we just like it and want it to happen.

  Maybe we need to think of another reason, God’s reason. What we should be concerned with in our lives and in the church is, “Is this pleasing to God”? No matter what we feel or how we justify it, the rationale should focus on the will of God.  Jeroboam never considered it. Many still don’t when it comes to church politics. Yet it should the paramount in our reasoning process.

 What should be the real reason for our action?