Overcoming an angry and violent world; lessons from The Gentle Saint
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“The wrath of God is indeed being revealed from heaven against every impiety and wickedness of those who suppress the truth by their wickedness. For what can be known about God is evident to them, because God made it evident to them. Ever since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes of eternal power and divinity have been able to be understood and perceived in what he has made. As a result, they have no excuse.” (Romans 1:18-20)
Creation screams the existence of the Almighty God. A sunset reflects the splendor of His majesty. The mountains reach to the sky to point mankind to God. The vastness of the ocean mirrors the limitless beauty of God’s love. It is comforting to know the presence of God surrounds us and is revealed through His creation. However, nature and the universe are not the only ways we see God. It’s also not the exclusive side of God. There is a side of God that is vengeful and wrathful. We must understand both sides.
“As a result, they have no excuse.” (Romans 1:20) We love to recognize God in His love, mercy, and majesty. We do not always recognize or live by the truth that God punishes sin. His wrath falls upon those who choose sin over repentance. It is his wrath, punishment, and chastisement that we deserve to receive from God. We do not deserve the love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness of God. The wrath of God against sin is not contrary to His love for us. In fact, it is the opposite.
A parent does not discipline their child for disobedience because the parent hates the child. The child is disciplined for disobeying the parent because the discipline is intended to deter the child from wrong or dangerous actions. Sin is dangerous because sin is deadly. The love of God is reflected through His discipline to us. His goal is to achieve repentance in our hearts. Repentance gives us life and allows us to live the way God desires us to live.
The God who reveals Himself to us through the marvel of creation is also the God that brings about eternal judgment on sin. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) God has given us creation all around us to remind us of His love, but to beg us to repent. Romans 1:20 tells us that we do not have an excuse not to repent. We do not have an excuse not to live righteously. We do not have an excuse to ignore God and choose the sinful ways of this world.
We have no excuse because He surrounds us each day with the beauty of the sunrise and sunset. He graces us with the breeze across our faces and the air in our lungs. He fills our ears with the songs of the birds. He reminds us He is always with us.
There will be a day we will all stand before God and answer for our sins. The consequence of sin is eternal death. God gives us a way we can stand before Him and receive eternal life in his presence. We will not have an excuse when we stand before God. We are called to be saints, but we must live as saints and not sinners. We have no excuse.
Amelia Monroe Carlson graduated from the University of North Alabama with a Bachelor’s Degree in journalism. Being raised as a Methodist during her early years, it was not until she entered college where she began to take her faith seriously. She was baptized as a Southern Baptist in Muscle Shoals, AL and began immediately serving in international missions and in the church.
During college, she became the Co-founder of an International Ministry, where she spent time traveling and speaking to church groups and in large conferences. She authored a Bible study and traveled abroad on mission work. She sat on the Mid-South Interfaith Conferences in Mississippi, where she defended the faith and discussed beliefs with leaders of various religions.
After a business trip to Washington D.C., where she was introduced to a former Baptist who converted to the Catholic Church, she was placed on a journey to enter into the Catholic Church.
Amelia is a military wife and currently residents with her husband and daughter in Tennessee. She is a nine time award winning journalist, receiving press awards for various categories including investigative journalism, best news coverage, and best single feature. It is her desire to help Catholics, particularly Cradle Catholics, see the beauty in their faith which converts see and appreciate the fullness of truth which the Church has held and guarded throughout history. It is her desire all Catholics fall as much in love with Jesus as she is, and love the Church to a greater capacity than they could imagine.
Amelia taught PRE for 4-6 grade at St. Mary Catholic Church in Bolivar, Tennessee from 2014-2016. She served as Youth Director at St. Philip the Apostle Catholic Church in Somerville, Tennessee in 2017-2018. She now teaches 7th grade (1st year Confirmation) PRE class at St. Philip. She's also a writer and frequent podcast guest on Our Warpath.
She has a strong devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Francis de Sales, St. Padre Pio and St. Maximilian Kolbe.
To contact Amelia for speaking inquiries at conferences, retreats, or parishes contact her via social media on Facebook (Amelia Monroe Carlson), Twitter (@2_catholic ) or send a text to: (731)518-6923.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ameliamcarlson
Twitter: @2_catholic (Catholic ministry account)
Twitter personal account: @ameliamcarlson
