Pastor's Corner: Don't focus on what doesn't matter

Have you ever thought to yourself, “Why did God create me with stinky armpits?”

Maybe it’s just me. But I have often wondered what purpose armpit odor has.

Before i give you my answer, let me tell you a short story that may give us some insight.

A college professor was teaching his class. The professor challenged his students with this question; “Did God create everything that exists?”

One student bravely answered, “Yes, He did.”

So the professor responded stating, “I guess since evil exists then God created evil.”

Another student boldly stood up and asked the professor, “Professor, does cold exist?”

The professor answered back, “Of course cold exists. Haven’t you ever been cold?”

The student replied back to the professor, “Sir, in fact cold does not exist. According to

the laws of physics, what we consider cold is in reality the absence of heat.”

The student wasn’t finished with the professor yet. He asked the professor, “Sir, does darkness exist?”

Annoyed the professor answered back, “Of course darkness exists. What kind of question is that?”

The student responded to the professor, “Professor, again that is incorrect. You see what we call darkness is simply the absence of light. So in reality there is no such thing as darkness.”

The brave student was not finished yet. “Professor, you asked if God created everything, including evil. I would surmise that there is no such thing as evil, simply an absence of God. All the things in this world that we refer to as ‘evil’ are simply people acting and living in a state absent of God.”

Now, I do not know if this story actually happened or not. We can look at this as a parable or a short story used to make a point like Jesus used to tell.

Let’s not get wrapped up in things that don’t really matter.

It doesn’t matter where evil comes from. What matters is that we recognize that evil is simply an absence of God.

I have heard people say my whole life that they don’t need God, that religion is just a crutch for the weak-minded and that they can do life by themselves.

That all sounds great, until your marriage falls apart, your kids go wild or you get a bad report from the doctor.

When any of those things happen, I want to be as close to God as possible.

Hebrews 13:5:

For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”

Proverbs 18:24:

A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks

closer than a brother.

That friend is Jesus.

I don’t want to be evil, to have an absence of God in my life.

I don’t think many of us want that either, if we are truly honest with ourselves.

Let’s reach out to God and see what he will do in our lives when we get out of our own way and let Him have His way.

By the way, the answer to the question from earlier on “Why do armpits stink?” They don’t stink. There is an absence of deodorant.

Steve Dobbs is pastor of Community Circle Church in Shafter.