Hot Water

By Tom Gilbreath

You’ve heard it in political speeches, corporate seminars, and sermons. Drop a frog into a pot of boiling water, and he will immediately jump out. Put the frog in room temperature water, then slowly turn up the heat, and the frog will sit there and boil. It makes a great object lesson. A sudden, dramatic change will wake us up in a hurry, but a slower change can be deadly because we might not notice it happening.

The illustration has only one problem. It isn’t true. According to people who have studied it, the frog will become uncomfortable long before the water boils, and he will jump out. No matter how slowly you turn up the heat, he eventually notices, and hops away. 

It may feel like you’re the only one who senses that something is terribly wrong in the world. But you’re not alone. In fact, almost everyone senses danger approaching. Some want to “hop away,” but where can they go? People grow increasingly agitated, not knowing how to escape.

Even though most people think something is wrong and the world is in danger, they disagree on almost everything else. What are the symptoms? What are the root causes? Some blame individuals, but they can’t agree on which individuals to blame. They blame various governmental policies or lack thereof. Here in the United States, some people blame media elites, while others blame easy access to guns. Some blame the previous administration while others blame the present administration.

Few seem willing to look closer — at ourselves and what has happened to us as a people over the last few decades. It has to do with sin and the condition of human hearts. In Genesis 8:21, God said that “the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth.” The human inclination toward sin is not new, but in recent years, standards of morality have fallen, and people have become more willing to give in to their worst desires.

In fact, much of the world has gone well beyond giving in. We are at the Romans 1:28-32 stage. People now celebrate acts of evil that ought to bring shame. Much of the population competes to see who can take evil to its most bizarre extremes. 

In Matthew 12:34, Jesus said, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” Collectively, the American mouth seems connected by large sewer pipes to a congested cesspool. Don’t misunderstand. Foul language is not the root cause of our problems. It is a symptom of something far deeper — a warning sign. The words of our mouths reflect the state of our hearts. Darkness of heart is at the root of our problems. For instance, dark hearts defile places that should be held sacred — bringing death to wombs and lies to classrooms. 

But in Jesus, God offers forgiveness and redemption. He provides escape from the cauldron of our sinfulness. He gives peace, joy, and meaning to all who turn to Him.