TATTOO: Yoke

On my left wrist is a yoke (Not to be confused with a yolk. You'd be surprised how many people make that mistake.) with Matthew 11:28-30 inscribed below. I got this tattoo with my intern in Wyoming after hearing a compelling message on the beauty of the yoke. Behind this tattoo you will find a story about my difficulty completely surrendering to God. This tattoo represents a specific story, but know that there are times every day when I have trouble trusting God, walking with him in faith and allowing Him to lead...especially when I have no clue where he is taking me.

To understand everything, I should inform you that I like to drive. I get such a weird feeling sitting in the passenger seat; especially when it is in my own vehicle. You see, when I'm behind the wheel I make the decisions. I determine the speed. I determine the stops. I determine the course. Ultimately, being behind the wheel means I am in control. When I'm in the passenger seat, everything changes! I tend to get a bit antsy. The future of me and my vehicle is in the hands of someone else. Things start going through my mind like "I would pass this car. We should be in the other lane. That route would have been quicker. You better slow down so you don't rear-end them."

Often times, this spills over into my spiritual life. Here's how it usually unfolds. After a time, I relinquish control of a certain area to God. As time goes on and we navigate various twists, turns and detours I begin to get antsy. That's when I resort to being God's back-seat driver. I begin asking questions like: "Do you really know where you are going? How is this all going to play out?" And then I reach for the wheel and offer God some advice along the lines of: "You should speed this up. We should change directions. I really don't want to go there. How about we take a different route."

Now for the story behind the tattoo. I was about a year into my first ministry position. To say things weren't going as I hoped and expected they would is an understatement. I was a young man with visions of grandeur! I was going to make a difference. I was going to change the church. I was going to change the world. I would be someone! About the only thing I became was frustrated and discouraged. The reality of ministry and my expectations were separated by a vast canyon. There were lots of meetings, a bunch of paperwork, and plenty of other boring responsiblities. I felt very little of my time was actually spent doing anything worthwhile and productive.

That first year I had my fair share of disappointments and struggles. There were numerous battles to gain the trust of the parishioners (in their defense, previous staff gave them reason to be wary). The anemic youth ministry gathered two evenings a week--one night about 5 Jr. High students would gather and another night was reserved for about 3 or 4 Sr. High students. Mediating between parents and teens in the youth group created struggles I hadn't foreseen. The parents wanted to see a thriving ministry of small groups, outreach events, mission trips and various other programs. I wanted the same things but to be honest, putting hours into prep every week, not even knowing if anyone would show up became exhausting. It took months for others to agree merging the two groups into one night a week would be beneficial. A while later the youth was granted a room dedicated to the ministry I had envisioned. Momentum was building and on a weekly basis we saw 30 some students come through the doors. There was just one problem, in my mind, nobody still seemed to get it. And then things seemed to plateau.

Some of this was partly due to my feelings of inadequacy, but mainly because of my own unrealistic expectations. Throw into the mix a new city and a new marriage at the age of 21 and you might see the picture a bit more clearly. There were mornings I woke up, so stressed and full of worry, I spent the better part of breakfast--how do I put this delicately--throwing up. I was on the verge of throwing in the towel. It was then, the summer of 2006 at youth camp, the speaker delivered a message on the yoke.

I was certain the message was directed right at me! It was as though he had been following me around for the past year making notes on my hopes, dreams, frustrations and struggles. And now, he was able to see all the symptoms and diagnose my ailment. I was trying to be self-sufficient! I was doing everything on my own strengths, according to my own passions, out of my own giftings. I was no longer following God's vision but my own. And to top it off, I hadn't tapped into the source of true strength he was offering. That is why I felt the way I did. That is why the ministry seemed to become stagnant. That is why I was nearing burn out.

In his message, he talked about the the yoke as a symbol of submission. By using this illustration, Jesus was pointing to the fact that we are to submit ourselves to Him every day, in every way. None of this wasn't anything new to me. For those of you who don't know what a yoke is allow me to give an explanation. A yoke was a wooden crossbar with two U-shaped pieces placed around the necks of a pair of oxen. Usually a younger, more wild ox was yoked with an older, more mature ox. This way the younger ox was not allowed to stray and kept focused on the task at hand. It also was a way to allow the older ox to harness the power of the younger. A yoke caused the two animals to rely on each other. It kept them in balance and unified their effort. As I mentioned earlier, the word yoke tends to have a connotation of submission. For many of us, this tends to be a bit negative. It reinforces the improper idea that we are under God's control and have no freedom. No wonder we hate this idea!

Let me paint a little different picture for you. First you should understand that a yoke was usually hand carved. This means time and the utmost care was taken to make sure it fit the neck and shoulders of that specific animal. A yoke isn't a one size fits all kind of thing. The reason being, the customization was meant to prevent pain or discomfort. Creating a perfect fitting yoke was a labor of love. That's why Jesus says "his yoke is easy and his burden is light." That day, I began to understand the yoke is more about sympathy, understanding and grace than it is about limitations and suppression. I could now see the freedom offered in the yoke.

On it's most basic level, this tattoo serves to remind me that I am yoked with Christ. The two of us are walking this sometimes rutted, narrow path of life together. While he is not physically present, his spirit resides within. Whatever comes my way, I am not alone! It reminds me he has been in far more desperate circumstances than I...and yet he did not stumble. It reminds me that if only I will submit, the burden will be more bearable. It also symbolizes that in my submission, I am able to rely on his strength to carry the load when I no longer can. The image of the yoke brings to mind a couple of verses in the fourth chapter of Hebrews, "This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most."

Understanding this makes it a little easier to willingly place my neck and shoulders beneath the weight of his yoke.

TRUTH FOR LIE, Part 4

The third truth we have exchanged may be one of the most pervasive and dangerous of the 4. 

God and his Word are absolute! We have, just like the other truths, bought into this one. And we have every reason to. That statement is entirely truthful. But, let me tell you what it doesn't mean. Just because God and his Word are absolute doesn't mean they allow no room for margin. When Scripture tells us that God and His Word are absolute, we tend to believe that this means everything, with God, is black and white; however, I don’t see this to be the case.  I see a God who can function in the vague and yet remain absolute.

For this discussion we will turn to the 14th chapter of Romans. If you have time, read it! But for the sake of this post, let me give you a summary. Paul lays out a teaching on two types of people. We find the two types of people he mentions are the "weaker brother" and, through our powers of observation, we see the second person inferred is the "stronger brother." A few key things to keep in mind about these individuals. First and foremost, I find it interesting Paul refers to the individual that cannot eat certain things, worship on certain days, etc. as the “weaker brother.” So, the individual who is so constrained by these boundaries, these “absolutes,” is the weaker brother. Why? Because this individual doesn’t see that God is much bigger than all of that. And Heaven forbid, there might be more to Christianity that what is in black and white. It is highly probable there are some gray areas...which we will get into in a bit. The second important element of this teaching to take note of is in reference to the "stronger brother." To them, Paul warns not to condemn the weaker brother because it is very possible God has accepted them as well. (I realize I am oversimplifying all of this, but bare with me.)

Reading through this passage, it seems to me, the logical conclusion is that there are certain areas God will speak to each of us about differently. Believe it or not, people within the same denomination, the same church, or even the same household may have differing “convictions” regarding food, drink, worship, or any other number of things. If you didn't believe that last statement, what I'm about to say next will totally blow you away. This might be hard to swallow, but it is entirely possible for people to have varying beliefs, still be Christian and, catch this, get along. It's a shocker, I know!

God is large and in charge! So much so, that he may tell me it is fine to do something or go somewhere all the while telling someone else the exact opposite. Does this mean God and his Word are not absolute? Absolutely not! To believe otherwise would show a blatant disregard of Scripture. Furthermore, it would make God very impersonal.

Here's the deal, God knows my past experiences, my present circumstances, and my future hopes and dreams. And given the fact that he is God and knows what he is doing, he is able to utilize all of that in a way he sees fit. Andy Stanley offers some great insight on this topic; "In light of my past experiences, my present circumstances, and my future hopes and dreams, what is the wise thing to do?" Let me illustrate this point. I may have a past that doesn't allow me to participate in certain behaviors that Scripture does not condemn. For example, if my past involves addiction, drinking (not condemned by the Bible) would not be a wise thing for me to do. If my present circumstances involve some sort of purity battle, dating (perfectly legitimate way to interact with the opposite sex) may not be a wise thing for me to do. Perhaps my future hopes and dreams hinge on being debt free; buying that brand new vehicle would not be a wise thing for me to do. As I hope you see, there is nothing wrong with any of these things in and of themselves--until they are put under scrutiny and we ask ourselves, "What is the wise thing to do?" There may be things that are perfectly acceptable or not Scripturally forbidden that I need to abstain from…simply because they are not wise.

Therefore, when it comes to the gray areas, God advises that we establish Biblical convictions. (And, contrary to what some believe, you should have several Biblical convictions.) Know that if you take a stand, you will have to be ready to offer an explanation. In addition to that, be on guard that you don't look down on others with varying convictions nor should you presume they need to follow or agree with you. God, in his sovereignty, has given some people the freedom (or grace) to fulfill his purpose in their life. But here is the key: While your convictions may be personal and may vary from everyone else, they are in no way ambiguous! The more you are in God’s word, the more you will know what your convictions should look like.

Following is a list of questions to help determine what convictions may or may not be legitimate in God's sight:

1. Does the Bible prohibit this conduct in specific or in general terms?
“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.”  ~2 Timothy 3:16

2. Will this conduct be an example of good stewardship?
“To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.”  ~Matthew 25:29

3. Will this conduct help or hurt me with the mission God has given me?
“We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry. In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God.”  ~2 Corinthians 6:3-4a

4. Does this conduct align with the standards I profess to uphold and expect of others?
“So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach. They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden.”  ~Matthew 23:3-4

“You may believe there is nothing wrong with what you are doing, but keep it between yourself and God. Blessed are those who don’t feel guilty for doing something they have decided is right…If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.”  ~Romans 14:22-23b

TRUTH FOR LIE, Part 3

Now it's time we take a look at the second truth we have inadvertently exchanged for a lie.

Truth #2: God is a God that is changeless.

If you have been a part of a church circle, you have probably heard them discuss the idea that God is changeless. That is in fact a correct statement. Our God does not change! I can't refute the fact that Scripture informs us "[God] is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow." However, we have perverted this truth in such a way that we have succeeded, yet again, in creating a caricature of God. We have reduced him to a being we can relate to more easily. One we are more willing to accept. We have twisted this factual attribute of God to the point where God is unable to change what he does or how he responds; and heaven forbid he were to actually change his mind!

To gain some insight, it's imperative we turn to Scripture.

If you have a Bible handy turn to the sixth chapter of Genesis. There you will find a couple of interesting verses on this very subject. In verses 6 and 7, we discover "The LORD was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke his heart. And the LORD said, 'I will wipe this human race I have created from the face of the earth. Yes, and I will destroy every living thing—all the people, the large animals, the small animals that scurry along the ground, and even the birds of the sky. I am sorry I ever made them.'"

You likely noticed the first verse stated "God was sorry he had ever made [man]." Wait a minute, did that just say God was remorseful? Is this an instance in which God had second thoughts about his decision? Did God change his mind? At first glance, this seems to be the case. Just to make sure this isn't a remote instance, take a look elsewhere in Scripture. In Exodus 32:14, Jonah 3:10, Genesis 18:22-33, Numbers 16:20-35, and 2 Kings 20:1-7, we will find similar accounts of God seeming to change his mind. Since we know (or at least I hope we know) that Scripture doesn’t contradict itself, we have to deal with these issues and determine what is really meant by all of this.

The word of the day is 'anthropomorphism.' Drop this word in theological discussions with your friends and they will either think you are making up words, or it may just leave them speechless. Anthropomorphism is defined as ascribing human emotions and characteristics to God. The Biblical writers make use of this tool throughout all of Scripture. They talk about God 'desiring' a relationship with us. In some instances Scripture talks about God 'mourning.' We are told that our repentance brings 'joy' to God. The Bible even talks about his 'beauty.' The Biblical writers viewed it necessary to use this terminology in fear that the Bible would have otherwise lost all meaning to humanity. In other words, God, in his sovereignty had the writers dumb things down for our sake. Otherwise the Bible would have made even less sense than it might now. Furthermore, it would have likely made God seem too far removed from us. And I hope we realize that he is not. God is involved in our lives, if we only would allow him to be.

Now, for the nagging question at hand, is God changeless? Yes. Does God change his mind? Yes. Aren't those two statements contradictory? No! To understand why they aren't contradictory we need to realize first and foremost that God is God and we are not. If you can come to grips with that, then we can move on. While God does change his mind as Scripture points out, he doesn't do so in the way we might think. And definitely not in a manner similar to us, with the same motivation. God changes his mind out of sorrow and compassion, whereas we might change our mind out of hatred, anger or bitterness...and occasionally sorrow. I will have you note the Hebrew word we translate as God's “changing of his mind,” literally means to have compassion or to be sorrowful. The picture is God being so moved by his grace and mercy that he can't help but go a different direction.

Before we go any further in this discussion, I need to throw out 4 presumed truths to set the framework.

The first truth is that God cannot lie. The second truth is that God knows everything. Third, God is not bound by space or time. And lastly, God does in fact respond to prayer.

Let me make it clear what Scripture is not saying when it states that God does not change. It does not mean that God is static; that he never does anything or never says anything. Neither does it mean that God does not alter his "plans" in response to the choices we make based upon our free will. (Let me reiterate, God knows everything, so he knows how we will respond better than we do). The suggestion that God doesn't change does not mean our prayers are pointless. Furthermore, for God to change his mind does not make him out to be a liar, as some would have us believe. To hold these views is far too narrow an interpretation!

When the Bible talks about God changing his mind, it is first and foremost about things that Scripture doesn't set in stone. Anytime he changes his mind, there is usually some sort of action or response on the part of his creation. Often times, his change in mind was the result of humanity altering some sort of behavior...i.e. repentance. We see this throughout the book of Jonah. Here's how it goes: the city of Nineveh is sinful, God speaks of their impending judgment, through a series of circumstances Jonah heads to Nineveh, prophecies, and the city repents. Ultimately, God spares the judgment he first spoke of. Jonah's ticked, because in a round about way, he feels God didn't uphold his end of the deal. The problem with that is there was really no deal and Jonah only saw a very small piece of the grander puzzle.

The Scriptures that are interpreted as God seeming to change His mind are human attempts to explain the actions of God (refer to anthropomorphism). God was going to do something, but instead did something else. To us, that sounds like a change; and in reality it is. But to God, who is omniscient and sovereign, it is not a change. God always knew what he was going to do. God does what he needs to do to in order that humanity will fulfill his perfect plan. And that plan, in case you are wondering, is laid out in 1 Timothy 2:4, "[God] wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth." Understanding this is vital to our understanding of God!

Confused yet?

Bottom line, God is not altering the end result of anything. The only changes being made are slight variations along the path that leads there.

I think our limited view (not to mention the fact we can only know God and not understand him) has led us to improper conclusions about his character. This very topic has to keep in a constant tension both his sovereignty (the idea that God is ultimately in control) and his transcendence (the idea God is involved in our lives). There must be some sort of balance here. If God is completely and utterly transcendent, then there is no need to pray. Things are already set in stone. Everything is already predestined (this is quite a Calvinistic stance). On the other hand, because God has given us free will, he must constantly be “changing his mind” for in our indecisiveness. We are for God one day and against God the next (this is quite an Armenian stance). Perhaps the answer lies in the gray area--there are some instances in which God has no choice but to change his mind. And this leads right into the next truth we have twisted into a blatant lie!

FIGHT

I will never forget the day I got into my first fight. It was a brisk day, with streaks of white painting the otherwise bright blue sky. The summer, sandwiched between my fourth and fifth grade years, had been pretty uneventful thus far. Little did I know this day would set off a chain reaction of events that would send the rest of my summer into a whirlwind of chaos. Actually, I just made all of that up! I find the memory of my younger years is pretty hit and miss. I have bits and pieces here and there; not enough to really put the entire puzzle together.

I'm not sure how old I was. Which season the day actually fell on is still a mystery to me. I can't even tell you if this was my first fight. Honestly, none of that really matters. But I am certain this was one of many fights I took part in until I reached high school. Growing up, I'm 99% certain I had what some people would call "Little Man Syndrome." Perhaps you have heard it referred to as "Napoleon Complex." Not that it makes much difference what the technical terminology is. There are only two things you really need to know in reference to this psychological phenomenon. First, I was short. How short exactly, I don't recollect. But considering the average height of a male is just a hair over 5'9" and I'm only 5'4", it is safe to assume most guys had about 6 inches on me. The second thing you should know, I was overly aggressive. That was my way of compensating for my lack of height. Let me put it another way for you. If someone looked at me funny, I was ready to rumble.

Now that I've set the scene, let's pick up with the action. For the sake of the story we will say it occurred one weekend while school was in session. This is pretty plausible since I vaguely recall an altercation leading up to this fight a day or two prior. The contender, who happened to be my arch nemesis throughout Elementary School, was named Kenneth Leathers. There was something about this guy that just rubbed me the wrong way. Perhaps it was the incessant harassment. After a while, it really began to wear on me. Come on, a kid can only take so much!

Kenneth was tall and lanky. But then again, from my perspective, everyone was tall. He was the cowboy type; always strutting around in Wranglers and cowboy boots. We were roughly the same age. And it just so happened that we lived in the same trailer park. (If you don't believe any of this, feel free to look him up on Facebook. You will see we were both from Rapid City, graduated high school the same year and he is even wearing a cowboy hat, leaning against a tree, holding an acoustic guitar. And by the way, he still looks taller than me.)

As I mentioned, there were regular altercations between the two of us. Apparently I had enough! And I decided we were going to settle this once and for all. After some discussion, the two of us agreed to meet by the old barn, the following day at dusk. Actually, it wasn't a barn at all. The meeting place was a playground near the trailer park. And I'm pretty sure it was broad daylight when the fight went down. (It sounded a bit more cinematic meeting by the old barn at dusk.)

The day finally arrived and my older brother and I made preparations for the throw down that was about to ensue. I put on my tightest fitting clothes so he wouldn't really have anything to latch onto. And I certainly wasn't going to wear a shirt he could easily pull over my head in order to beat me to a pulp. Then I grabbed my only pair of cowboy boots from the closet and slipped them on. (Don't judge me! I was a little kid and didn't know any better.) I should probably leave out the fact that we came across some brass-knuckles to take to the fight as well...but I guess it's too late now. I'm not sure where they came from, but I can guarantee you, they were never put to use that day.

While my brother and I made the journey to the playground he proceeded to give me a pep talk. Picture Mickey telling Rocky Balboa "You'll be able to spit nails, kid. Like the guy says, you're gonna eat lightning and you're gonna crap thunder. You're gonna become a very dangerous person." and you get the idea. Knowing my brother, it was likely eloquent and pretty inspiring (take note of the sarcasm). It was probably something more like "Beat him up!"

In the distance I saw Kenneth standing in the middle of the playground. He had a small crew of guys with him; which was why my brother came along. To ensure it was a fair fight and there wasn't any tag team stuff going down. When I got to the playground, I walked toward Kenneth, likely spouted off a few smart remarks and came out swinging. I landed a few punches before he grabbed ahold of me and threw me to the ground. I got back up, charged in swinging and took a few hits from him in the process. It was then I decided to make use of my cowboy boots and kick him...anywhere really. We continued to tussle for a few minutes as the fight made its way to the merry go round. For some idiotic reason he decided to stand on it. I guess he thought taking the high ground was a wise decision. I used my quick wit, grabbed one of the bars and started spinning the merry go round as fast as pssible. He held on as long as he could; but eventually gravity won and threw him to the ground. At this point I found it prudent to jump on his chest and throw a few punches.

And that's where it ended. I don't recall why the fight stopped. I know we both had a few bumps and bruises. It was interesting trying to explain that to my parents when I got home. But, I was able to hold my head a little higher that day. I finally had the courage to defend myself. And according to Fight Club, I now knew myself. Oh yeah, Kenneth never messed with me again.

I'm not sure why I shared this with you. Maybe it's because my buddy John Samuel said I should share some of my stories. I guess perhaps it has to do with the fact that I just needed to write and this happened to be on my mind. In addition to that, I have been wrestling with my other posts a little too much lately and needed a break from them. Hopefully this will help the words to start flowing on the 4 or 5 posts I have in progress right now. In the meantime, you have something to read and you know a little more about me.

TRUTH FOR LIE, Part 2

These truths have been taken at face value by many of us. Let me reiterate, that approach is not entirely wrong. When it comes to issues of faith and God, there are many things we must simply take at face value. For example the truth that God is omnipresent is one such truth. No matter how much I try to understand it, I will never fully comprehend this reality. However, in taking things at face value, we run the risk of missing some deeper truths. And the way I see it, when it comes to many of these truths we are about to look at, we have done God a severe injustice. Each of them has been placed neatly in a box we have been carrying around.


Before we go any further, there are a few things you need to know about this box. First thing's first; I am not talking about a literal box. (The idea that we actually tote around a box is preposterous. If you happen to literally have the box I am about to describe, you may want to stop reading, find the nearest trash can and throw it away. I'm sure you're getting tired of lugging it around.) Rather, each of us sub-consciously carries this box around. And inside we place only that which can be observed with our five senses. Translation--in the scheme of things, this box is pretty small! On the outside of the box is a label that reads "God." Overall, this has resulted in a diminished understanding of who God is and how God operates.


Lucky for all of us, my God box happens to be sitting at my desk as I write this. I'm going to open it up and see what ideas about God we have been placed in this tiny container. In this list you will find 4 common truths (in no way are these exhaustive) about the nature of God that we have exchanged for lies.


Truth #1: God is a God that can be known. 

"And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth." (John 17:3)


Truth #2: God is a God that is changeless. 

"I am the LORD, and I do not change." (Malachi 3:6a)


Truth #3: God is a God of absolutes.

"All he does is just and good, and all his commandments are trustworthy. They are forever true, to be obeyed faithfully and with integrity." (Psalm 111:7-8)


Truth #4: God is a God of law.

"Don't misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God's law will disappear until its purpose is achieved." (Matthew 5:17-18)


At the onset of this, I hope you realize each of these statements is entirely factual. These ideas come straight from Scripture. They are 100% true. No falsehood can be found in any of them. However, as we will see over the course of this discussion, these truths have been taken to some illogical conclusions. The result is that we have painted an inaccurate portrait of the reality that is God.


Several summers ago I spent a week on vacation in Las Vegas. A lot of walking (I mean a lot) and a ridiculous amount of sight seeing was done. There was an exorbitant amount of pictures taken, several shows were attended, and did I mention there was a lot of walking that took place? And of course I had to purchase several souvenirs. One of my favorite souvenirs from that trip was a drawing. However, this was no ordinary drawing. Only one of it's kind exists in the entire world. It's probably even worth millions of dollars!


I bought this drawing while wandering around in one of the hotels. I stumbled across an artist that specialized in caricatures. In order to commemorate the trip I had one done. Just sitting there was pretty entertaining. Everyone that walked by would stop to look at the picture, then look at me, then look back at the picture and give me a thumbs up or smile. One passerby even burst into laughter. I have to admit that one made me a bit nervous. In case you aren't sure what a caricature is, let me give you a definition. A caricature is “a representation, especially pictorial, in which the subject's distinctive features or peculiarities are deliberately exaggerated to produce a comic or grotesque effect.”


This is exactly what we have done with many of these “truths” of God.  We have (whether accidentally or deliberately) made God, in a sense, into a caricature—exaggerating His traits that we can relate to most or those that seem most viable to us.


It's time we address the first truth and it's corresponding lie.


Some within the Christian faith have taken the truth that God can be known and twisted it in such a way that they believe He is a God who can be understood. But if we turn to Isaiah 55:8-9, we find this just isn't the case. To all of us, God says: "My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts. And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts."


Please don't misunderstand the point I am making. In no way do I want you to believe God is this distant being so different from us that he cannot be known at all. There are some religions (and even some Christians) that will hold to this truth. Sometimes they will argue that god is so unique from humanity it is absurd to think that finite humans can relate or know him in any significant way. This is not so when it comes to the God of Christianity. I contend that although we cannot fully know everything about God, we can still know him. Notice I said we can know him, not necessarily understand him. There is a big difference, which Isaiah clarifies! 


If that isn't proof enough, look to the book of Job. In there you will find a section titled "The Unanswerables." Here God asks Job a series of questions that, as you might guess, Job has no answers for. For example, he asks Job questions like: Where were you when the earth was created? Who put the boundaries on the water? Can you tell the sun when to rise and when to set?


Although God cannot be understood, we can know many true things about him. For example, we know that God is love 1 John 4:8, "But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love." Elsewhere in Scripture we discover that God is spirit John 4:24, "For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth." Perhaps you have even heard God referred to as being just or righteous, Romans 3:26 says "...God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus." These traits of God have been revealed to us via many different avenues. However, they are more than mere facts to be stored in our mind. They are truths we can see and experience in life every day, if only our eyes are open. 


Since God has chosen to reveal himself to his creation in a variety of ways we can know him personally, meaningfully, and significantly. Albeit in a limited but ever-increasing way throughout eternity.

TRUTH FOR LIE, Part 1

USA Today conducted a national survey of 1,721 Americans. This survey asked 77 questions with nearly 400 answer choices that burrowed deeply into beliefs, practices, and religious ties.

The results are as follows:

Though 91.8% of those interviewed say they believe in God their views varied widely. How they see God's personality and engagement in human affairs can by classified into 4 overarching categories. These four categories were dubbed by researchers as: Authoritarian, Benevolent, Critical and Distant.

The Authoritarian God (31.4% of Americans overall) is angry at humanity's sins and engaged in every creature's life and world affairs. He is ready to throw the thunderbolt of judgment down on “the unfaithful or ungodly.” Those who envision God this way “are religiously and politically conservative people, more often black Protestants and white evangelicals."

The Benevolent God (23% overall) still sets absolute standards for mankind in the Bible. This group, which draws more from mainline Protestants, Catholics and Jews, sees primarily a forgiving God, more like the father who embraces his repentant prodigal son in the Bible.

The Critical God (16% overall) has his judgmental eye on the world, but he's not going to intervene, either to punish or to comfort. “This group is more paradoxical. They have very traditional beliefs, picturing God as the classic bearded old man on high. Yet they're less inclined to go to church or affiliate seriously with religious groups. They are less inclined to see God as active in the world. They are definitely not liberal, but they're not quite conservative, either.”

The Distant God (24.4% overall) is “no bearded old man in the sky raining down his opinions on us.” Those who hold this view of God see a cosmic force that launched the world, then left it spinning on its own. This has strongest appeal for Catholics, mainline Protestants and Jews. It's also strong among “moral relativists,” those least likely to say any moral choice is always wrong, and among those who don't attend church.

Maybe your view of God doesn't fall in line with any of these. Perhaps, to you, God sounds more like "a mean kid over an anthill with a magnifying glass. And [you're] the ant. He could fix [your] life in five minutes if he wanted to, but he'd rather burn off [your] feelers, and watch [you] squirm!"

Let's turn a corner for a moment, open your Bible and read Romans 1:19-25.

If you've done that, let me offer an explanation where I'm going with this. In this passage we read how these individuals who knew God started to lose sight of who God really was. Why they made this turn we aren't entirely sure, but I'm almost certain it started with their exchange of the truths of God for seemingly insignificant lies.

From Scripture, we are sometimes given a clear and concise depiction of who God is. However, most of what we read about God is a bit murky at best. Because of that, God offers some room (I said some, not a lot; don't deem me a heretic yet) for our varying beliefs. Thus, we have a plethora of varying denominations, translations of Scripture, and ideas of who God really is. That is why I am a firm believer none of us has the market on God. If you look close enough, you will see things you don't agree with in any church. You might find various translations of Scripture that don't seem to paint the picture you have in mind. When it comes down to it, they may not be entirely wrong; however, there still has to be some common denominators that fall in line with his true character.
Due to human nature, the way our mind functions, our perceptions of reality, and our varying experiences, some of us tend to relate to a “different” God. What I mean by that is this, we find it easier to understand and believe some characteristics of God more than others. How about an example? A person that values justice (that would be me) has a hard time grasping the merciful side of God. Is this wrong? Not entirely! Bottom line, we may have a somewhat incorrect or at the very least a skewed view of who God is.

There is always a danger this will inadvertently lead us to exchange the truths of God for lies. For that reason it is good to read books and listen to speakers outside our comfortable paradigm. It challenges us and helps us to sort fact from fiction...when it lines up with the overarching themse of Scripture. In the posts to follow, we will take a look at some of these truths we have exchanged.

OUR GOD, Part 2

Now, to the topic at hand: What does this promise to be our God mean, thousands of years later?

To begin with, it means that God knows me intimately. “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.” (Psalm 139:13) If you are anything like me, this verse should freak you out. God knit me together. He knows all the intimate details of what makes me who I am. He has a purpose and a plan for my life. He knows how I am going to react and respond to each and every situation. And scarier still, He knows what I’m thinking--before I even think it. There are some things I don’t want anybody to know, especially an all holy God. But the incredible reality is this: given the fact that God knows all of these things about me, He is still willing to lay it on the line. He still offers himself as a sacrifice. And He still wants to enter into a relationship with me. If my closest friends knew some things about me, I’m not entirely sure they would want to be around me sometimes. Fortunately, that is not the case with the very God of the universe.

You see, for the longest time this scared me because I thought of God as this rule-maker; this fun-sucker; this celestial being waiting to strike me down for the stupid things I did (and trust me, I've done a lot of stupid things). It turns out that isn’t the case at all. When He says He knows me intimately, He’s really saying that He knows the ugly stuff and still chooses to accept me. That's a pretty sobering thought!

This also means that God will take care of me. “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future.”  (Jeremiah 29:11)

Often where we get confused is differentiating our wants and our needs.

His promise to be our God also brings to the fore-front His offer of unconditional love.

Now for the second and probably more important part of this passage; thousands of years after this promise, what does it mean for us to be the people of God? How does this apply to my everyday life? How does it change things?

To begin with, this means we must walk in faith. What is faith? “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.”  (Hebrews 11:1)

Basically this is just a big word for trst. Do I trust God? When the Bible talks about faith and love toward God, this is what it comes down to. In the midst of all that is going on, do I trust God. A great quote of Brennan Manning's sums it up well, "Perhaps it means more to God when we say I trust you, than when we say I love you." Trust is a preeminent expression of love. I can love someone without totally trusting them, but I cannot trust someone without totally loving them.

It also means that we must be devoted. Tons of Scripture makes this point clear. God says we must be either hot or cold, he who is not with me is against me, no one can serve two masters, either you love God or you love the world—there is no riding the fence here. God will not stand for us to be fickle…we must decide to serve him or serve any other number of things. Basically, God is asking ‘will you be faithful?’

We must also learn to live sacraficially. There is this myth out there about relationships (well, actually there are a lot), but one of the bigger ones is this: a relationship will only succeed if two people are compatible. They say this is true of all relationships, but especially an intimate relationship. Let me clear things up and tell you that is not entirely true. There is no scientific equation or mathematical formula that will predict the likelihood of a realtionship succeeding. If there is I'm not aware of it and would like to see this. It would certainly save a lot of hassle. I wholeheartedly believe there is only one thing required for a relationship to succeed. And I'm going to let you in on the secret right now...it's sacrifice. For any relationship to succeed, both parties must choose to put their own wants and needs on the backburner in order that they may put the wants and needs of the other above their own (of course, there is always the risk they will take advantage of it, but that is a separate discussion altogether). In doing so, you find your needs will be met beyond your wildest imaginiation (at least with God). This is one of the paradoxes of the faith.

The whole idea here is one of mutual pursuit. As I pursue God, He will pursue me!