Cease-Fire

Think a minute…In June of 1969 the countries of Honduras and El Salvador declared war against each other. Until then these two neighboring nations in Central America had been like close cousins.

For many years people from El Salvador had lived and worked as farmers in Honduras. Then suddenly these two countries became enemies! What happened?

The Hondurans attacked the Salvadoran farmers living in Honduras; so thousands of farmers ran home to El Salvador and told about the attacks against them. Next, both countries broke off diplomatic relations, and in a month the fighting started.

Five days later, over 2,000 people had been killed. The battles continued with air attacks, as well as the news media from both countries broadcasting hateful messages over the radio and television. Finally, there was a cease-fire…but only for a short time before the fighting started up again and continued for many more years.

So what happened to cause a war between such close countries? Amazingly, this long and violent war started one day in June, 1969 by a decision of an athletic official. Thousands of people were killed simply over a questionable score…of a football game! A tragic, needless war because of something so trivial and unimportant! 

But it is no more tragic and needless than the fights we ourselves start with our own family and friends, many times over nothing more than our sensitive, foolish pride.

That is our problem as humans: all of our proud competition and conflicts with each other ultimately come from our rebellious competition with our own Creator and His way of living. That is why the Bible says that we all have declared war against our own Maker Who gave us life, because we want to live it our own way. 

The great English writer C.S. Lewis says: “Pride is the great sin”—since it is the source of all our other sins. Mankind’s problem is our proud, disobedient hearts that refuse to fully acknowledge and live our Creator’s true way, which He planned for our own happiness and good.

Instead of daily trusting and obeying our loving, wise Maker as our Lord, we all want to be our own lord. Like the old song, we all are proud to say “I did it my way!”—even though our way is clearly wrong and hurts,  even destroys, both others and ourselves. 

It just makes sense that the Creator of life is the only One Who can enable us to live life the way He designed it to work correctly. His way is the only way we can enjoy true, total satisfaction both now and forever after we die.

Once and for all, won’t you call a cease-fire with your Maker? Ask Jesus to forgive you for living your own way and to change your heart. With Him in charge, He can lead and empower you to start living His awesome plan for your life every day. Just think a minute…

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