As we look around at the current turmoil, we might be inclined to ask the question as to “why all of this exists?” The truth is that that mankind blames a great many subjects for his own problems. Sometimes he blames social institutions, but they exist because men decided to create them. That is not a justification for any wrongly directed groups, but someone is at the core or foundation of its existence. Sometimes man will blame God. When groups lobby to remove God from everyday life, or even political entities, they intend to take away the “divisive” influence which they believe alienates people from each other. Certainly, it is a strong sense of right which causes the pains of mankind!? Truthfully, it is a sense of selfishness in MAN which is at the base of every real problem faced by man. The removal of God will simply take away the only objective moral force in man’s life.
Man has excused sinful behavior and called it social understanding for too long. He has blamed everyone and everything for his unwillingness to submit to God, and then blamed God for the problems man’s own foolishness has created. Man has a complex, but definable, problem to deal with. The simple and quick answer is that man’s greatest enemy is man himself.
Biblically, there are three approaches to understanding how and why man sins. The first is in a term (Chata Harmatia) which means loosely, “missing the mark.” It is the concept that means that man has, due to a variety of reasons, simply not succeeded at being what God calls for him to be. Maybe man is trying to hurry too much. Maybe man is not paying attention. Maybe man simply doesn’t care enough to try. Regardless of the reason, he misses the mark. (Judges 20:16; Proverbs 19:2; 8:34-36) It could also be quite intentional. (Genesis 31:36; 1 Samuel 2:25) Secondly, another category is the idea that man goes astray from God’s wisdom or plan and is often translated as iniquity- “Awan.” (1 Samuel 20:1-8; 25:24; Job 13:23-26; Daniel 9:13) This includes the idea of moral guilt. Also, this can be “willful,” or the of product attitudes like arrogance or apathy. A third category is rebellion – “Pasha.” This idea is outright obstinence to the will of God. It is demonstrated in several passages. (1 Kings 12:19; 2 Kings 8:20-22; Genesis 31:36; Isaiah 43:27)
However the various terms might be used or applied, they equal the same action – man has ignored the will of God. From the garden of Eden, man (as a whole) has seen fit to walk away from God’s grace. It is usually for the same reason – man has a better idea for himself. He believes that God is irrelevant, or at the very least impractical. God is somehow out of touch with His creation and therefore unqualified. So, man, in an effort to make his life better turns away from the only real source of joy we can have in God Himself.
More specifically, why does man struggle to find peace? It is because everything he does outside of Godly behavior will only bring unrest, pain and death. When man makes his own way, he plots a path to destruction of his own soul. (Romans 3:23) If we want peace, we NEED God. If we want joy, we NEED God. If we want salvation, we NEED God. If we want truth, rest, wisdom, and real purpose we need to seek the one from whom ALL blessings flow. (James 1:17)
Godspeed as you seek out God’s path in your life.