LET’S NOT FORGET WHERE WE CAME FROM!

If you should ask the very next person you meet where they come from, they would probably mention a country, state, or city. They might even go to the extent of telling you which city they were born in, where they grew up, and probably, where they currently reside. All that is good information, but really, where do we come from?

The Scriptures have the answer to that question—we came from dirt! “The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person” (Genesis 2:7). That’s right: without the breath of God, we’d just be dirt. So, here’s the equation: dirt plus God’s breath equals human; human minus God’s breath equals dirt. Without the breath of God, we are nothing.

We need to visit this equation often, because as sobering as it sounds, it is a good reminder. We need to not forget so we can stay humble, acknowledging God as the giver of life. It is God’s breath that keeps us alive. Any time we are tempted to be proud and arrogant, let’s remind ourselves that we are just dirt, and will return to dirt the moment He takes His breath away from us. Jesus reminds Christians: “I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).  

It’s heartbreaking to hear and see people from all walks of life who give God no respect, and act like they are in charge of life, of themselves, and everybody else. We don’t thank Him or give Him glory. We claim glory for ourselves by announcing ‘who’ we are and how great we are. We proudly claim ownership of our lives and the lives of others we might have helped in small, and probably insignificant, ways. God gave us the ability, health, and all it took to accomplish whatever we’ve ever accomplished. So, guess who should get the glory for our achievements? God: not us!

The Psalmist beautifully acknowledges this fact: “Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from beginning to end, you are God. You turn people back to dust, saying, ‘Return to dust, you mortals!’” (Psalm 90:2-3) So, the next time you feel arrogant about whatever you’re involved in, just remind yourself that without the breath of God, you are just dirt, and tone it down, giving glory to the One to whom glory is due—GOD! 

Interestingly, when things go wrong, we quickly ask, “But where is God?” Which God could that be? If we don’t ever acknowledge Him, why do we question his whereabouts when trouble strikes? He doesn’t owe us anything; we owe Him everything we are and have, including our very breath!

Although we turn our backs on Him so often, He still loves us and seeks a one-on-one relationship with us. To that end, He sent His One and only Son, Jesus, to earth to save us. He lived among men, without sin, and died in our place to form a bridge that leads us back to God the Father.

Have you been so busy being impressed with your life that you’ve paid God no attention? Well, be reminded that you are dirt plus God’s breath, and He is going to require that breath from you sooner or later. You’ll then have to give an account of your life. What would you say for yourself then? The correct response will allow you to live with God in heaven forever, but the wrong answer will send you to hell. Nobody with some imagery of hell would consider going there; the truth is, it is an awful place where the fire never goes out. The suffering does not ever stop!

Now, this is what you need to do to escape that fire pit: acknowledge to God that you are a sinner because you are (you were born a sinner) and ask for His forgiveness through Jesus Christ. He will honor His promise by forgiving you and adopting you into His family. The Bible says: “God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood” (Romans 3:25). He will come and dwell in your heart through His Holy Spirit. This will make you His child, and Him your Father, bringing you into the one-on-one relationship I mentioned earlier.

This is only the beginning of the relationship; you’ll have to grow it through reading the Bible and prayer. The Bible is His manual for how you should live. Obey what He says, and His Word will gradually transform you into His image. You’ll recognize sin, call it by its name, and turn your back on it. His command to you is: “Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy” (Ephesians 3:22-24).

Are you willing to acknowledge that you are what you are because of God? Then don’t stop there; ask Him to come into your heart, and then love and serve Him with gratitude for as long as His breath remains in you. Then when you return to dirt, you’ll live with Him forever in heaven!  

NB: All quotes are from the New Living Translation (NLT).