God Boxes

I believe from the moment of our birth, God is working to draw us into relationship with Him. In fact, I believe that each event we experience in life is Divinely Designed to bring us into relationship with Him, or, if we are already his child, to draw us into deeper, more meaningful fellowship with Him. Ask any authentic Christian -- especially those who came to know Jesus in or after their teen years -- and they will tell you they can look back on their pre-Christian life and see God's fingerprints all over the pages of their story, pointing them to the Truth. Ask any authentic Christian who is walking closely with their Savior, and they will also tell you that each event, whether painful or joyous, in their lives has ultimately drawn them nearer to their Lord.

If you at this point have no idea what I'm talking about, let me encourage you to honestly search out the Truth about Jesus. There is much spiritual speak out there, but there is only One Truth that will complete us. I challenge you to honestly, unbiasedly search for Him. God says, if we seek Him diligently, we will find Him. In fact, He says that he pursued you with His love. Love is not always warm, good feelings and happy events. True love does everything possible and necessary to make us complete and fulfilled. True love remains securely in place when our emotions seem to derail. True love does not depend on anything we do and is unconditionally faithful. Do you know that kind of Love?

If you do know that kind of Love, how's it working for you? Or should I say, how are you working with it? I've been a bit distraught this week at how angry some Christians are. I was recently reading an inspiring biography. There were parts of this book that sent my spirit soaring as I realized during the darkest trials of their lives, the subjects of this book were completely enthralled with God. They learned faith through the faithfulness of God. They learned, as did Jesus, according to the book of Hebrews, obedience through suffering. Yet, my rapture at God's sovereignty demonstrated in their lives was squelched as I read the angry scrawlings written in the margins by a previous Christian reader. This reader complained bitterly about non-essential doctrines they noticed in the writing. Was that really what the author was trying to communicate? While I was being uplifted by the nuggets of truth this couple discovered and shared, this individual got angry? I, too, have my convictions about some non-essentials, but I hope do not get angry and miss spiritual blessings when other true Christ followers don't share all those convictions. I'm sure I have at times, unfortunately... This is only one type of angry Christian. We come in all different shapes and sizes, disillusioned about all different sorts of things. I, too, have been an angry Christian. Then, it happened...God shattered the box.

What box, you might ask? I believe everyone who has a relationship with God bases their ideas about God on previous experiences. Those experiences are as varied as -- well, our ideas of God. As we learn what the Bible teaches about God, we neatly tuck those truths inside the box we have designed to hold an incomprehensible God within our comprehension. Then, when life or church or other Christians or this world start pressing the limitations of that box, we get uncomfortable, then bitter and angry. Been there, done that! "But, God...this does not compute. I did what you told me to do, and you didn't do what I expected you to do. Why, God, why?! " "But, God, shouldn't all Christians worship as I do? They have left their first love, no doubt! Am I the only one still faithful?" "But, God, that Christian sinned, and their sin really hurt me." "But, God..." My life finally reached a point that my God-box was being stretched so far, I had to either abandon my faith completely or admit that my understanding of God was severely limiting the hand of the Almighty in my life. The box was shattered -- into a million pieces! I only pray I'm not constructing another box (albeit larger). Don't misinterpret what I'm saying. God's Truth is always God's Truth. God's methods always stay within that Truth. But God himself says his ways are not our ways and his thoughts are not our thoughts -- as high as the heavens are above the earth, so his thoughts and his ways are above ours. Think on that -- I mean really think. We might pull out that little nugget of truth when it's convenient for us, but what about when it hurts us a bit? What about when our pride is at stake? What about when everything we thought we knew is being challenged? Take the challenge! Let God out. Oh, Christian, when we experience the abundance of God's grace flowing unrestrained into our lives, then we become vessels of that grace from which fountains of living water pour into the lives of others -- others we have so harshly judged in the past; others who might be blinded or deceived; others who will experience an eternal hell if we keep snubbing our noses at them; others who desperately need to grow in Christ, but we can't help them because we don't like their Bible version or their music or their hairstyle or their whatever. The apostle Paul challenges us to examine ourselves to see if we be in the faith. Are we being honest? Do we really trust the Sovereign God? How do we respond when life doesn't fit into our God-box? Are you full and flowing over with gratefulness, grace and love at the fact that the Almighty, Creator and Holy God of the Universe was despised and beaten and crucified for you? If you don't have that joy, that love for others -- Christians and Non-Christians alike, why? God himself says, Love covers a multitude of sins. His certainly does. Until we each realize, I mean really grasp the fact that at our core, we are all equally bad with equal need for a Savior, I fear we will keep those boxes intact and remain angry Christians, useless tools in God's hands.

I wish I could say I've learned this perfectly and have now arrived. Uh, no... I think that comes later-- in heaven. I only pray that I will allow God to continue to reveal Himself to me and continue to reveal myself in light of who He is. For what? For purpose in life. Eternal, meaningful, fulfilling purpose. Do I limit Him by my unbelief or by my "Christian" boxes? Perhaps that would explain that feeling we sometimes have of purposelessness an unrest...