Why do some people not tell the truth? Why do some people do things behind another’s back? Why do some people try to manipulate friends or acquaintances to say or do things they normally wouldn’t? 

Sometimes it is because they are trying to cover their tracks and not get caught or blamed for something they did wrong. Skew the facts. Deflect the suspicion onto someone else. 

Sometimes they want to make someone else look bad in a fit of jealousy or rage. 

Sometimes it is because they want to gain something for their own selfish pleasure or advancement. 

I go back to my question. Why?

It’s because we live in a broken world. Since the beginning of humanity humans have always thought they knew better than God. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were not satisfied with what God provided, so they disobeyed in order to get more.

God set down expectations for how God wants humanity to live. Far too many thought they knew better and fell hard from grace. 

God continuously pursued humanity, doing his best to have people freely return to him and live in his grace. Yet, his attempts fell on mostly deaf ears.

Yes, God created a perfect world for us. And we broke it. And when things don’t go right? When tragedies strike, when plans don’t go our way, when murder and injustice and hatred all rear their ugly heads – who gets blamed? God!

Friends, it is not God’s fault!! It is ours.

We are the ones who don’t tell the truth; who manipulate persons and circumstances; who sneak around in the darkness doing unspeakable things; who seek pleasures at the expense of others.

 God does not force anyone to do those things. People freely choose to do them. And such choices, I am sure, break God’s heart.

 But God does not – and has not – given up his pursuit of humanity. God came in Jesus Christ to show us how to live, act, and react. God comes in the presence of his Holy Spirit to give us wisdom and courage to live as he desires.

Just as God has not given up on any of us, don’tgive up on him. If you will live by the “royal law,” you will find what God desires. The royal law says, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If we all did this, imagine what this world would be like.

The Rev. Mark Broadhead is pastor at Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church and First Presbyterian Church of Crestview.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: How to live, act, and react

Psalm 42:1-2 states, "As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God."

Many of us have been thirsty during our lifetime, but have you ever been so thirsty that all you could think about was having something to drink? I have. It is a terrible feeling. The tongue becomes dry. The throat feels like sandpaper.

The body starts to react in ways it is unaccustomed. The brain starts to cry out, "When will this horrible feeling end? When will this thirst be quenched?" Satisfaction becomes an obsession.

That is how much our souls long for God. The soul cries out as it longs to be fed and nourished by God. It longs to be satisfied in a way that can be provided only by God.

If you feel a restlessness that you seem to not be able to satisfy, if you feel as though something is missing from your life but just don’t seem to know what it is, I dare say you are hungering and thirsting for the living waters that flow from God.

In order to find the comfort you are seeking, you must consciously avail yourself to pathways of nourishment. You must take steps to allow God’s life-giving water flow into your heart, mind, and soul: read the Bible, pray, make time for silence, worship.

Our God will satisfy the longing of your heart. He will grant you more fulfillment in life. He will quench the thirst of your soul.

Psalms 42 verse 11 says, "Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God.

Yes, put your hope and trust in our Lord. He has promised to hold you in the palm of his hand and satisfy the longing of your heart. Trust his promise. It’s a good one!

The Rev. Mark Broadhead is pastor at Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church and First Presbyterian Church of Crestview.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Hope and trust in God

When a person tries to convey a message, words, tone of voice, and body language all help to convey that message. When all three parts of the message mesh, and the listener receives it as intended, a clear communication has been made.

If one of those parts is off, a mixed message is given, and there can be confusion on the part of the listener.

How do you respond when you experience a miscommunication? Do you ask questions to clarify if what you thought you heard was the intended message, or do you fly off the handle in a fit of anger or despair?

This is why the Letter of James in the Bible tells us to “be quick to listen.”

There is an old expression which strongly recommends taking a deep breath and counting to 10 before responding in anger. Taking a deep breath and counting to 10 helps to not respond inappropriately in a flash of anger. It allows for a brief moment to discern if your anger or hurt is justified, or if perhaps you misunderstood what was being said.

Your first response should not be, “How can I get even?” but rather, “How can we take this and make it better? How can we learn from this and grow from it? How can we grow stronger because of it?” 

It is very easy to let emotions flare up quickly in the heat of a moment. But when you briefly hold your tongue and reflect on what is being said, you will be able to respond more clearly, more rationally, more appropriately. 

I encourage you to keep your ears open, and your heart ready to hear the word of God and respond to God’s leading – especially when communicating with others.

When you look for the positive in any given situation, you will be able to look beyond yourself and discern what God would have you do, and how God would have you respond. You will allow God, and God’s word, to live in you and through you. 

The Rev. Mark Broadhead is pastor at Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church and First Presbyterian Church of Crestview.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Take the listening command to heart

What does one do when a trust has been betrayed?

It happens, doesn’t it? A person in a position of authority makes promises to work toward certain goals, only you learn the person never really intended to do so.

A spouse makes a vow to remain faithful on a wedding day. But then for whatever reason, becomes involved with another person or becomes emotionally unattached.

A colleague goes behind your back and does irreparable harm to your reputation or undermines a project on which you have worked diligently.

Such instances are all too real. The reason behind such failures is due to the fact that from the very beginning, humanity broke its relationship with God. By choice, humanity determined that obeying God was merely optional.

And so it is, because God has given us the awesome responsibility and gift of free choice. We can choose to follow or not follow the ways of God. Either way, there are consequences to those choices.

In broad generalities:

•To not follow the principles set forth by God means a person is interested in only his or her own wellbeing.

Pride, selfishness, greed, and the like become the driving force in life. It doesn’t matter how one gets ahead as long as they get ahead. Others are to be used as stepping stones. 

•To follow God’s ways means a person has a desire to please God in all aspects of life.

This means looking out for the well-being of others, saying and doing the right thing even if it is uncomfortable or painful. It means recognizing others are just as important as yourself, and that your word is your bond. 

So how does a follower of God’s ways respond when a trust is broken? By all means address the issue. If the matter is fixable, work on it. It will take time – and sometimes a very long time with very hard work – to attain reconciliation.

If the matter is egregious and the relationship is not reconcilable, you can forgive the person. But remember that does not mean you condone what was done. Nor does it mean you have to subject yourself to such behaviors in the future. It means you let go of the burden of the matter and move on.

Don’t hold on to grudges. Don’t seek revenge. Just as Jesus forgave those who nailed him to a cross, so can we forgive those who betray a trust.

Why would we do that? Because it is the right thing to do.

The Rev. Mark Broadhead is pastor at Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church and First Presbyterian Church of Crestview.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: We all have the gift of free choice