Draft:Evolence

Evolence: is defined as going forth from a spiritual connotation, as in Malevolence and Benevolence. It appears these two principles are on an axis. It is good and evil. There is no indication of an in-between area. The only in-between space is the cross where we meet the creator. Malevolence or Benevolence?  The prefixes in these two words have depth and meaning. Mal- and Ben-. What about the rest of the words? The essence of these words is in the prefix? (evolence) There doesn't seem to be a definition for the rest of the word! I can't find one! With my barely 12th-grade education, even I can surmise a meaning—my definition. A going forth from, a spiritual connotation. It appears these two principles are on an axis. It is good and evil. There is no indication of an in-between area. The only in-between area is the cross where we meet the creator. Humans are the only creatures with free will; thus, the choice. The essence of a person is their spiritual being. We are born into this world maladjusted.

The fact that malevolence can become evident to a child is the saddest truth there is. When we come into the world, we are clothed in innocents; we cannot even imagine ill will or malice until we witness it in our own life. Where does it come from? We are born into the world and therefore inherit its ways.   As a child, we will see it manifested in our peers if we are fortunate, but we often have the misfortune of experiencing it from someone we respect or admire. Children come to know malevolence in themselves through witnessing selfishness. Selfishness as a child can be innocently demonstrated as Self Preservation. Self Preservation, when realized, will become Self Reliance. Self Reliance is an excellent quality in a person until Self Reliance becomes Self Indulgence. Self Indulgence, when discovered, causes a fork in the road. we were fine being utterly reliant on our Creator until we were pricked by the thorn, stung by the bee, bitten by that dog, bucked off of that horse, or bitten by a snake. I could continue describing creation in self-preservation mode until it becomes gruesome. Such as being kicked by the Zebra or eaten by the Lion. Do you know the difference between being kicked by a Zebra rather than a Horse? The Zebra will keep on kicking until it's finished. The world is in Self Preservation mode; some creatures instinctively kill to survive. The whole world is acting against my very being. My flesh and bone are from this world. I struggle against myself because, at my very center, I am a spiritual being. I'm made in the image of my Creator. Spirit. There's a fork in the road. We will struggle with sin; understanding this is the key to preserving our souls. Understand that the only reliable substitution for the word self is the word sin. There is nothing good in me. My physical, tangible self will always crave the base things of the world to fulfill its self-indulgent lusts. Choosing the Narrow way, things of earth will grow strangely dim.

We find ourselves mired, dug in, in this selfishness. I've described it as sinfulness, so now we approach the fork in the road. I fully know who I can be while living an unbridled self. This physical world's law of nature (entropy) is all-consuming and leads to destruction. We are in the world but not of the world. I came to the end of myself. I met people who lived in the power of the Holy Spirit. The Comforter set me on the upward path with grace and forgiveness. The way of life that brings true fulfillment is not self-seeking. In John 14:6, Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. When you come to a fork in the road of your life, you will have a choice to make. This choice will come when you feel undeserving, unworthy, and trapped in past failures. The past is where the dead live. (We are born spiritually dead, already separated from God)  Staying on the current path, looking backward, and blindly moving through your life in the darkness will lead to more of the same. The night that keeps us hidden from the love of our Father. Malevolence is the lie that we keep believing. What is the lie that keeps you hidden and separated? When we are groping in the darkness of this selfish world, we will blindly run into other people and unknowingly drag them down with our desires. Remember! It always starts innocently. The unfortunate truth is we all have a fallen nature. We will fall to the will of others. We will fall to the choice of ourselves. Could it be peer pressure,  loneliness,  wanting to fit in,  or even pride? It is an unholy spiral downward. The paradox is even the exalted self, who is all-sufficient, is in a fallen state. Faith is the gift our Creator has given us that overcomes this world. The hope for the future, a future with God. Never apart from truth. The Apostle Paul captured the thought in Romans chapters 7 and 8.

Knowing now that the way, if chosen, will lead to benefit/benevolence for fellow travelers, what shall I do? Will I continue down the path of maladjustment, being conformed to this world? Or do I become intentional, being transformed into the image of who I am meant to be? Is surrender intended to be deliberate, or should I rest in knowing the truth? It's both. Deliberately rest completely knowing Him.

Malevolence or Benevolence?  The prefixes in these two words have depth and meaning. Mal- and Ben-. What about the rest of the words? The essence of these words is in the prefix? (evolence) There doesn't seem to be a definition for the rest of the word! I can't find one! With my barely 12th-grade education, even I can surmise a meaning—my definition. A going forth from, a spiritual connotation. It appears these two principles are on an axis. It is good and evil. There is no indication of an in-between area. The only in-between area is the cross where we meet the creator.

We are involved in this creation, and our will determines our effect. Our choice does have a purpose when we choose the path of the righteous. Not the course of the self-righteous, but the justified, the upright,  being awake, paying attention, and being a conduit of His will and way. Our illuminated actions lead the spiritually blind to the humble path less traveled. The way will then be illuminated to the spiritually blind. Choosing the will of God is to go where He goes. Where is God working in your life? Choosing this path will seem to narrow the way because it does! Doing the right thing is rarely easy, but He goes before us, making the way clear. We will be forced to slow down and choose more carefully the steps we take. I am examining the purpose or the potential good, moving forward in faith and looking to the future, expecting good because God has prepared the way. What does moving forward in faith mean to you? Is it planting a garden or eating less because you know you need to drop a few pounds? I ACT IN FAITH when I know my actions can produce the desired result. Working in what you believe to be true is acting in faith. Our innate ability to make a predictable result is a gift graciously offered by our Creator. Faith is presented because it is a gift that no other creature holds. How do I know what's next? I don't know what's next, but I do know what will make tomorrow better than today. The choice is Malevolence or Benevolence. Faith is Benevolence, doing the will of God to benefit your brother.