Why are things so CONFUSED?!

By Elizabeth Prata

We are living in tremendous times. They are tremendous first of all because every day we live we get one day closer to the return of Jesus. They are also tremendous days because even though the days are evil, we can see the Lord’s work in them, both with salvations and with its evilness.

I want to look at the world’s growing evil for a minute, and encourage us as to its biblicalness (if that’s a word).

Many people these days claim to be confused as to whether they are a boy or a girl. They are confused as to whether they should have sex with a man or a woman. They are confused as whether having intimate relations with children is acceptable or not. They’re confused as to what a peaceful protest is and what is an actual riot. They’re confused as to what the words misogyny, reparations, debate, offense, and feelings mean. Confusion reigns, let’s just say that.

This confusion is not random. I go to two places in the Bible that speak to this issue of confusion.

1. The first is Romans 1. This chapter describes a process that God ordains when a person or a society rejects God. In verse 1:21 we read,

For even though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Then in verse 1:28 we read And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them over to an unfit mind

What does it mean to have futile thoughts and an unfit mind?

Futile means to make vain, foolish. Usage: I become vain or foolish, am perverted.

According to Strong’s Greek words mind means: mind, understanding, reason. Usage: the mind, the reason, the reasoning faculty, intellect.

Don’t we see that wholesale today? Great swathes of people, neighborhoods, cities, and even the majority of the U.S., can be said to have futile thoughts in an unfit mind. But believers have the mind of Christ.

We see that, don’t we? People CANNOT reason. Even when you present them with facts and proofs, they reject them. They aren’t logical, thoughts are jumbled, and debates or even simple conversations immediately descend into chaos laced anger with an end result of futility. And I’m not even talking solely about secular people but people who profess Christ also.

What we are seeing in the United States seems to be in fact, a living out of the verses in Romans 1, where God gives over many people to their unfit minds.

The second set of verses I’d like to point out is the use of the word ‘confusion’. This scenario is seen mainly in the Old Testament and the word confusion, or threw into confusion, mainly is used against armies.

Then at the morning watch, Yahweh looked down on the camp of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud and brought the camp of the Egyptians into confusion. (Exodus 14:24)

I will send My terror ahead of you and throw into confusion all the people among whom you come, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you. (Exodus 23:27)

And Yahweh threw them into confusion before Israel, and He struck them with a great slaughter at Gibeon and pursued them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah. (Joshua 10:10)

In this verse, the Philistine army was so confused, they could not distinguish friend from enemy, and they were killing each other!

Then Saul and all the people who were with him rallied and came to the battle; and behold, every man’s sword was against his fellow, and there was very great confusion. (1 Samuel 14:20).

Now I know the Bible says God is not the author of confusion but of peace (1 Corinthians 14:33). Barnes’ Notes explains,

His religion cannot tend to produce disorder. He is the God of peace; and his religion will tend to promote order. It is calm, peaceful, thoughtful. It is not boisterous and disorderly.

But of those without the Lord of peace in their heart…they will lack clarity of mind, and they will not know peace but only disorder and confusion. Sometimes God enhances the natural confusion of mind in the pagans by throwing more confusion at them, indicating He is Lord of all hearts and minds. Think of the verse in Romans 1, “God gave them over”. When He releases His restraining hand on a sinner, they rush pell-mell into more disorder and confusion than they would be if He had continued restraining them.

I saw riots and thievery and mobs during and after the Covid time, and still see it now 3 years later. When God gives a person or a society over, confusion will reign.

When a situation resolves in a favorable-to-us way, how often we say “Praise the Lord!” But when a situation occurs where we are in the middle of a negative or confusing condition, do we say “Praise the Lord”? Job did. We should too.

It is hard to live in a place where things don’t make sense. Where we see clearly the facts and the truth, because we HAVE the truth, but others vehemently disagree. Some professing believers even depart from us, friends or family. It hurts. But keep looking to the One who makes sense, and He always will. Keep reading His word.

In my opinion, this societal confusion seems to be one way God is sifting true believers from sham believers. Many who profess Christ aren’t true believers. They never truly repented. True believers are never confused. Let this time be one where, rather than bemoan the times, you solidify your beliefs and become stronger. As you become stronger, you will have more grace and patience for those who don’t.

The Lord will come. He will. And it will be over forever.

For our momentary, light affliction is working out for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 2 Corinthians 4:17