Current research in behavior has come to the conclusion that it is virtually impossible for human beings to correct self-destructive behavior. The phrase “Just say ‘No!’” coined by former first lady Nancy Reagan has been mocked by mental health specialists as simplistic and ineffective. We are told we cannot keep ourselves from doing things we know aren’t good for us and that the best we can do is learn to cope with our inabilities.
Nothing could be farther from the truth. Hundreds of millions of people have witnessed behavior changes in the past and continue to do so today. It does work to “just say ‘No!’” Now that doesn’t mean it is easy to stop doing things we enjoy and yet are harmful to us, but it can be done.
Maybe what we have to do is look at life from a different point of view. We’re told by many today that all of human life is dominated by chemical reactions which take place within our bodies and brains. Which means, that when it comes to behavior, we’re just victims of chemical circumstances. This is a new way of looking at life, but it has caught the attention of many people because it frees us from responsibility for our actions.
Jesus Christ has a much different explanation for why we are the way we are. He tells us there is a cosmic battle between good and evil which is raging all around and in each person. For Jesus, the principle point of each person’s life is to win that battle for good. In fact, that is the very reason he came to this earth as a human being.
This Sunday we are going to witness Jesus engaged personally in this war between good and evil as he takes on several direct temptations from Satan himself. While this encounter happened early in the ministry of Christ, it points ahead to his total and complete victory over Satan on the first Easter morning.
You and I aren’t victims of chemical circumstances. We are responsible human beings with the ability to choose right over wrong. While our inclination to do wrong may be overwhelming, Jesus Christ offers us more than enough not only to resist evil, but to live a life for what is best. With Jesus, we can make the change!
Saturday evening – 6:00 pm
Sunday morning – 10:00 am
Hawaii Lutheran Church (WELS)
- Community Lutheran Church
- Honolulu, HI
- Community Lutheran Church holds protestant chapel services in Honolulu, Hawaii near Pearl Harbor, HI. We are next to the USS Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Hickam Air Force Base, and Fort Shafter Hawaii. Look for us directly behind the Salt Lake, Hawaii, Target.