God In Demand

I have more thoughts than I can write down. Such is usually the case.

Starting with how I have been. The answer is better than I was a year-and-a-half ago. Actually, I have somewhat gotten used to the fruits of knowing God, that is, the persistent hope and joy that I have in the Spirit. I don't want to become complacent or take anything for granted. I thank God for so richly giving me what I do not deserve. The truth is, I am doing well. And primarily because I have basically handed my life over to God to do with what he wants.

First, how do I know what God wants me to do? How do I know God's will? Well, first, I believe that the bible is God's primary source of revealed knowledge to us lowly humans. If God is God, a separate, infinite, and good being, then could not he, would not he preserve the words that he wants to pass down to humans? The goal is to be connected with God. Even if we live "good" lives on this Earth, with respect to our relations with people, we have failed to connect with God, mind you, a perfect God. That which is light cannot associate with darkness. It consumes, destroys it. That which is perfect cannot commune with that which is imperfect. There IS a disconnect there.

Well, I start off on my personal story but end up shortly in a defense for my faith. Why do I defend it? It is not because God needs defending. If my words can possibly be used for something other than benefiting me, I am fulfilled. I am a part of something. This aspect, this community that I have been brought into is part, only part of the reason of the joy, overflowing joy that I have now.

The disconnect - the good we have in us, perhaps isn't even our own. But just how good is the good we think we have? What do we want more, to love or be loved? To think of others more highly than ourselves, or seek praise, often indirectly, from others? In my experience in these brief examples, I chose the latter. That was done through deep introspection. I cared very deeply about things that affected me. I didn't care so much for other people, including close friends and family. I cared! But not as much as I should have.

So the heart of a person, their motives, their deepest desires, are often very selfish. Why does one contribute to charities? To fulfill some sense of duty or to feel better about oneself. Why does one seek out friendships? Often to not be alone. In my experience, looking deeply behind my motives and being HONEST with myself, these were too true. I was selfish.

THAT is only the aspect of human relationships. We have wronged fellow friends, family, strangers, millions of people perhaps that we don't know. Because of motives, because of our heart. HOW MUCH MORE have we wronged God? How much more have we ignored the spiritual aspect in life? Or dared deny the need for God's help, nay much more than help, to live a good life? How dare we deny the need for a savior, the need for Jesus to have lived a perfect life for the purpose of dying on the cross for our sins, and resurrecting himself to give us new life? We have defected. We are enemies of the light. There is a form of darkness residing in us, and light cannot, will not by definition associate with darkness.

These are the foundational truths I have come to accept as more than fact. As more than knowledge. It is super-knowledge, if you will. But faith is something that you uphold. You upkeep. You preserve. However, I am not preserving my faith. It never was me in the first place. It is God. He is the source of my faith. He is the source of my good. I had a thought recently, that perhaps God's grace extends beyond those who believe in Jesus to non-believers, in the form of GOOD expressed towards fellow people! We see a lot of evil in the world, we also see a lot of good. Acceptance by non-Christians. True love, true friendship. WHY?? Because God is gracious to allow that good to exist in a person.

Geez, we are getting mixed up in the doctrines of predestination, original sin, free will of Man, and all kinds of mind twisting jargon. Basically, God is in control. Because God is infinite, because God is the causer and not the caused, because God is loving and obsessed with human affairs, even individual lives, a life put in his hands is a life well-placed, or well-lived. Because my feeble, finite mind cannot start to comprehend that which is infinite, I must have faith that it all works out. Is that foolish? Perhaps. But perhaps even the foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom of Men (and women!)

Need I confront all the objections to Christianity? I am not defending it as if it needed defending. I feel like sharing what I believe, and these are some of the many thoughts of why I believe what I believe. The opening line of this post is very accurate. I covered many areas of argument, many in simplistic terms. Looking at the nature of reality, at the world around us, things can be summarized, simplified down, and remain true. A tree is a tree is a tree. More applicable, I know my mother. I know my God. Simple truths that kids can understand, but read into them with science and philosophy and history, and these truths begin to confound the wise. Good-bye! And good-night.

p.s. I don't actually know God's will; in absolutely brief summary, I practice the virtues and ideals found in the Bible, which direct my big decisions in life. Also, the Great Commission has more and more bearing on what I do with my time. So, with day-to-day prayer, I try and be open to sense God's direction through opened or closed doors. Feelings play a part, but don't drive the train. I'm open to being stretched, to be made uncomfortable, to go where I need to go, and be active and productive where I'm needed.