One of the snares that I watch many, including myself, fall into is the snare that brings about the belief that God is like us. We often take the flaws of man and impose them upon a Holy and Just God whose ways are in no wise comparable to ours. It’s a trap that strangles the way we talk to God (prayer), the way we react to situations, our expectations of God, and, ultimately, our overall hope. A snare. A trap.
The result? Prayers that aim at convincing God to do things our way – as if He hasn’t already made his objective of doing what’s absolutely and divinely best for us crystal clear. The result? Worry – as if He hasn’t proved himself willing and capable time and time before of handling your little issue.
The result? Paganism – spending hours reciting a whole bunch of fancy, church-approved words and slogans as if prayer was performance hour rather than a time to be straight-forward, raw and, most importantly, honest with your Father who already knows what you’re really feeling anyways.
The result? Doubt – God can’t really do what He says He can do, can He? Of all the times I’ve had empty promises and claims made to me…why should I believe Him? The result? Fear – as if He’s too powerless to protect you from the storms and the people that HE created.
The result? Nonchalant attitudes. I can spend my free time playing meaningless games on facebook (Bejeweled, Mafia…y’know)…He won’t mind. The result? Frustration – because at some point you’ll realize that this plastic image you’ve built of God isn’t working.
The point? God isn’t like us. He doesn’t lie like us. He isn’t envious like us. He isn’t self-centered like us. He isn’t heartless like us. He isn’t flawed like us.
If you really believe that, act like it.
Stop exhausting all of your prayer time and energy trying to perform and persuade. His goal isn’t to judge nor cater to you…it’s to change you into more of Him.
Stop worrying and fretting. Take a glance at his track record; all of the wonders He’s crafted, all of the victories He’s won, all of the situations He’s handled with a mere command…then take a look at your problem. Seems awfully small now, huh?
Stop putting Him on the backburner. He’s God. If you can think of anyone or anything more important, please let me know.
I hate to be a preacher type, but in the wake of so much frustration brewing as a result of our plastic images of God, something should be said. People abhor being “preached” to because no one likes to be told what to do. But this is bigger than that. With all of the stress, pressures, and mind-boggling situations that life dishes out, this is something you not only should do, but NEED to do. You won’t survive this thing without a functioning and biblically sound image of your Savior.
Churches, preachers, and church-folk can truly camouflage the real Jesus with a pretend version of Him that they’d prefer to serve. But His image is clear and simple – He’s your father, He cares for you, He only wants the best for you, and, above all He loves you with an unconditional, agape (perfect) love. Nothing you could ever do or not do could make Him love you any more or any less. Simple.
Burn your plastic Jesus…your sanity depends on it.
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