This Is What Happens When You Remove God From Your Mind

by: Gary L. Hutchens

 Our nation is in a state of crisis! Our economy is in shambles, with inflation at a forty year high and many products in short supply due to a constricted supply chain. Our present political structure is characterized by animosity, hatred, irrationality, flagrant deceit, obsession over power and a lack of pure wisdom. Our government seems largely out of touch with reality and therefore fundamentally incapable of doing what it was designed to do.

 The animosity and hatred are not limited to our politicians, though many of them are major contributors to the wider effect. Our very culture right now is immersed in animosity and hatred, and those uncontrolled emotions have led to waves of violence. Much of the violence has been spontaneous, reactionary to some event or news. But much of it has been thoughtfully planned and purposeful, instigated by individuals and groups with specific goals to rise to power.
 Our national news media, supposed to be the watchdogs for our society, are themselves largely culpable. Their bias is obvious, having digressed to creating news rather than reporting the news. Whatever does not fit their agenda is given brief or slanted attention, or ignored altogether. Their trustworthiness, in the eyes of the people, is abysmally low.
 Violence is not the only problem in our culture right now, not even biggest problem. The central problem, simply stated, is immorality. Immorality! Most people probably think of that term in relation to sexual immorality. But that’s only one form of immorality. The dictionary definition, simply put, is, “contrary to accepted moral principles.” Hatred, animosity, unprovoked violence, stealing, lying, deceit, cheating, murder, to name just a few, all qualify as immoral acts. Yet, these are common practices within our nation today. Our culture has come to give immorality in general just a wink and a nod. With few exceptions, immorality has become acceptable!
 Prevailing immorality will degrade any culture, and that is exactly what is happening to our culture and, therefore, to our nation.
 Why is this happening? Our political structure, our national and local governments, our court system, our education system, our media, our societal thinking have all largely pushed God out of the picture. But our mind is not a vacuum. When we push God out, the devil automatically moves in. The less we practice morality, the more immoral we naturally become. When godliness no longer characterizes our thinking and lifestyle, immorality takes its place. Evil takes over.
 This was the very reality in Noah’s day: “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.” (Gen. 6:5-6). We know the rest of the story, don’t we?
 As a nation and culture we’re losing our spiritual identity. To a great degree we’ve already lost it. Let’s not delude ourselves by thinking there will be no consequences. The consequences are already evident all around us. This is what happens when a people remove God from their mind…