Order Matters

​As I look over the American cultural landscape, there is an ominous, darkening cloud of disorder descending upon our country.

• Every single day “Breaking News” alerts us to another incident of disorder.

 I cannot speak for you. But I am deeply troubled by the misguided, misdirected attitude of many of our fellow citizens, and some who are not citizens, who believe disorder is the way to get what they want or what they think they are entitled to.  
Any nation state that does not respect, support and uphold law and order is a country doomed to self-destruction. Disorder sets the stage for demise from within. Willful defiance, disobedience, and disruption of law and order is a recipe for national implosion. 

• Disorder divides. Order unites.

Order ensures stability, security, safety and a sense of everything is going to be all right. Disorder on the other hand, creates an atmosphere of instability, insecurity, lack of safety and a sense of everything is falling apart.

• A spirit of disorder breeds confusion, chaos, division, hatred and violence.

Police officers rightfully arrest people for “disorderly conduct.” Why? Stuck on themselves and what they want to do, the offender’s disorderly behavior disrupts and endangers an orderly, peaceful, safe society.  

• What some people call civil disobedience can turn into uncivil disobedience in a hurry.

If you do not think order matters, observe, or better yet, attend a “peaceful protest” that has turned into a riot. Then review how you feel about order when you are personally exposed to and threatened by the ugliness and dangers of human disorder. You will be terrified by the words and actions of disorderly, spiteful, hateful, violent people who leave destruction behind in the wake of disorder for good, respectful citizens to clean up and pay for.

• How curious it is that some politicians are clamoring for unity without calling for order.

 

• The answer to disorder is order. Order is found in the Bible.

God is a God of order. From cover to cover, the Bible is a book of order, God’s order.
Our Sovereign Creator, who is purposeful and orderly, laid out His plan for our life in His holy word.  God’s good, acceptable, and perfect will and plan is good because He is good! The plans the Lord has for us (Jeremiah 29:11-13) are intended to bless us in every area of life. When you and I line up our lives with the order we find in Scripture, life is awesome and fulfilling, now and for eternity.
James 3:13-18 has something especially important to say to us about wisdom and order.
“Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his good deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth.
This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, and demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”
Read these verses a few times. Let the truth sink in. Simply put: Disorder and every evil thing springs from bitter, jealous, arrogant hearts filled with selfish ambition. Disorderly behavior is based on lies against the truth. James calls this behavior earthly, natural (of man) and demonic. Certainly not wise.
In contrast, a lifestyle based on truth from above (God’s wisdom) produces righteous fruit… purity, peacefulness, gentleness, reasonableness, mercy, steadfastness and is not hypocritical. Life will be one of order. That is the kind of life I want to live. 
If you and I want to be wise and full of understanding, ask for wisdom (see James 1:5). God will grant it. Then walk in it by displaying good behavior which I believe is orderly, not disorderly.
It is a no brainer folks. If each of us would order our lives according to God’s order, our personal, family, friendships, business, ministry and national life would be blessed and prosper!
There is no question that Americans must seek “wisdom from above” if we are to survive as a republic founded on Judeo/Christian principles.
Bottom line: Is our nation going to be a nation of law and order or unlawfulness and disorder?
“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.  Psalms 33:12
A Word For Your Week: Order your life according to the order outlined in God’s Word.