Facing the Morality Police

One of the things that Brenna and Nicole talked about on Sunday in their fantastic sermon (see it here) was how the ‘morality police’ love to explain what sin it is that caused whatever suffering you are enduring. As they pointed out, it feels good for the ‘morality police’ to do so because then all difficulties have causes and they can simply avoid the causes and feel safe.

Note, of course, that the morality police sometimes are ‘out there’ - some religious leader or parent - and sometimes are ‘in here’ - it’s our own hyperactive conscience not letting us alone.

The Book of Job in the Bible runs for 42 painfully long chapters, and almost all of it is a transcript of the morality police berating Job for his moral failures. His life has come on hard times, and they clearly say his sin is at fault for it. Here’s one of probably a hundred incidences of that:

“As I have observed, those who plow evil and those who sow trouble reap it.” - ‭‭Job‬ ‭4‬:‭8‬

Job has the wisdom to know that they are simply wrong (although he still can’t figure out suffering!). At one point he points out “You, however, smear me with lies; you are worthless physicians, all of you!” (Job‬ ‭13‬:‭4‬).

How have the morality police - either ‘out there’ or ‘in here’ - tried to convince you that all the bad things in your life are you own fault? Are there ways the Spirit might be inviting you to speak back to them?