Dangerous Comfort

We love control. We want to be in control because it is then that we feel like everything will go as we planned. We never want outside influences to come in and disrupt our control cause then we lose it. We even put God under our control complex sometimes. We can see this when we make up things about the character of God to make us feel better about whats happening in our lives.

Hailey recently sent me an email with this quote from Rick Warren's "Purpose Driven Life":

"In order to build your faith, God will give you a dream; then he'll urge you to make a decision; but then he'll allow a delay, because in the delay he matures you and prepares you for what is to come."

I have a bit of a problem with this passage because I feel like we constantly take a little bit of God and then expand Him to fit what we need and also we try and explain God. So in this case with Rick Warren we see a formula is put on God. He gives a dream, then delays, then matures, then provides. But this is crap! One could just as easily say "God gives you a dream and in faith you should follow it now without delay." And you can justify it! After the quote given above Warren goes on to talk about how the people of Israel had to go through that time of delay in the dessert and thus his statement is justified. Well, I'll use the same book, in Exodus Moses meets God in the form of a burning bush and God gives Moses the new path that his life will go on. But does Moses go through the same period of delay like Warren said people will? No, Moses and Aaron go to Egypt right away, with no delay to mature in faith, even though Moses just heard a bush of fire talk to him he has no time to "mature in faith" over the bush. And now my statement above is justified. Using the same book, same Bible, just I took what I wanted out of the Bible the same way Warren did.

What is also interesting about all this is we don't need for us to have ownership over the control for us to feel comfortable. So in both statements made above by Warren and myself, God is still very much the one on control, we were not given the power of control, but since both statements put a formula on God we feel comfortable because we know the formula. So we don't even need to be in control we just want to know what's going to happen and how. And from that we get our sense of control. It's all a mind game we play with ourselves. We will make up anything to make ourselves feel better even if that means making a formula for God to function under.

So how does God work? I don't know. Not fully. No one knows fully, we can only get little glimpses of how God might work. It's supposed to be that way. If we can figure out how God works than He ceases to be in control and thus ceases to be God! Look at Job. He thinks he figured out how God works and determines that all the hardships he has suffered he did not deserve, and from our perspective he probably didn't, at least we can't figure out why he would deserve such torture. But what does God say when he speaks to Job? "Well done figuring this out Job, you did not deserve all this, I was testing you." No! He rocks his world by saying "Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it?"

You see we don't know how this all works. We do not go through some formula outlined in a book. All we have is Salvation in Christ and that is enough. His grace is sufficient. Seek comfort in that, not in weak justifications that make you feel better for a moment. Like most things it will leave you empty with only a space Christ can fill.

superNATURAL

The great thing about walking with Christ is how faith becomes so dynamic as you learn and walk more. Thus every year is far different from the last because my faith is always developing. These past two years I have gotten to know more and more about the supernatural side of our God. When speaking of the supernatural it often means one of two things, either the Holy Spirit or the supernatural things capable through Christ, such as healing. Either way I see them as some what similar or at least intimately tied to each other.

Because of learning more and more about this topic I have been getting to know more and more people who are very connected to the Holy Spirit or at least seem to be very connected. People who believe that the dreams they have are prophecy or that they have the power to heal. I have no problem with this, I too want to be in a place with the Spirit someday where I am capable of these things. But here is my concern, it is short and simple; I think we can easily get enthralled by the supernatural side of Christ and neglect His natural side. In other words we are attracted to Christ by His wonders and not by His purpose. There is a reason why Christ constantly told people to not spread word of what they have seen Him do, such as healings. He did not want to draw the attention of people only seeking out a miraculous sign, He wanted those who would believe in Him without ever seeing the lame walk and the blind see. I would argue that the banner over Christ is His love and not His works. Yet it is my fear that we will become so focused on His supernatural works that we will forget about His natural character. Because honestly the supernatural ways of Christ are worthless in us without the natural side of Him first, that natural side being His love.

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing."
-1 Corinthians 13:1-3

You see before Christ was a miracle worker, a healer, a prophet or anything else, He was and is love. So what good is it to do are be in touch with all the supernatural stuff without first knowing Christ and His love? Sure you can see the future or move mountains but Paul seems to deem you as "no good" if you don't have love.

So lets quit playing these games and getting distracted. We must be wise enough to know that we can become distracted by even godly things, for example, there is nothing wrong with giving sight to the blind but if you seek that over seeking Christ alone than it is a deadly distraction. Seek Christ, that's it!

Called...to what?

I'll start by saying there are a few terms and phrases thrown around Christian circles that I have a hard time hearing and try to never say myself. Some of them being: "I'm gonna spend some time with Jesus.", "We are courting not dating.", and finally, "Do you feel called?", or, "It's my calling." In this particular instance I will focus on the idea of God's "calling" on our lives.

What is "calling"? Better yet, does God have one path for our lives and what is it? Logically, no. If God had one specific plan or "calling" for our lives we would not have the freedom to choose Him in the first place. So then let's follow the path of someone who does choose to live with God in their life. Were they made to be "slaves of righteousness" or is it "for freedom that Christ has set us free?" Scripture says both. Because of God's great love for us we have the free will to choose Him, but now after we choose Him do we not still have that free will in His love to determine our path according to God's will?

Now let's follow the path of someone who chooses to live without God. If God "holds all things together" and "all things were created by Him and for Him" than even the most radical atheist is still created by God and for God. So then is this person fulfilling God's will without even seeking it out? Do they have a "calling" and that is to not know God and preach against those who do?

What I'm trying to get at is we so often limit out own freedom in Christ and then end up limiting God's will. Sometimes I think we need to have a wake up call like Job got, after arguing with friends Job thought that he knew God well enough to say to Him that he didn't deserve the torture he went through. God does not respond with compassion, He says "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand." Basically, "You don't know me! Step off Job!" The moment we think we have a grasp on God is when we put Him in a box. The same thing happens when we think we are "called" to one thing. Many people today are feeling "called" to mission work in Africa. But those who believe that that is the sole thing God has intended them to do have now put chains on God. God's will is so much better than the little things we dream up! If you feel God has called you to missions in Africa, He probably wants you to do missions in Europe too, even southeast Asia, or maybe (gasp!) America!

So bottom line is, maybe we feel "called" to certain things but don't get your heart set on it cause God has something better for you. God's will does not stop at "being called" if anything, you are called, then led, then tested, then humbled, then lifted up. So don't think your "calling" is your destination. In Scripture the only thing Christ calls us to, is to follow Him. There is no mention of "calling" or :being called". The occupation we are "called" to is to follow Christ.