I think it's hilarious when people who have just won some sort of award take the time to thank God for helping them win. Check that thought a bit...when they thank God for their life, family, or whatever I really do think it's great. But seriously? Thanking God for a personal award? Lots of us have joked about it, but how awesome would it be if the coach of whoever loses in the NCAA championship gets up and says "I really think God let us down this time." Everybody would go off! We would attack a person who said that God caused them to lose while celebrating the person who thanks God for helping them win. Does this make even a bit of sense?
I think this is really tied to our perception of what and who God is. Ultimately, most of us want a magic genie...someone who can give us what we want without asking too much from us. And there's this lie that tells us God exists to make us happy. We've pulled Jeremiah 29:11 out of context (look it up!) and assumed that God wants nothing more than to help every one of us feel 'prosperous'. Does it really surprise us that people have trouble believing in this idea of God when considering the state of the world around us?
I think Joseph (from Genesis, not Mary's husband) understood the reality of our standing with God more than we do. His life pretty much sucked for a long time. He was abused and sold by his brothers. He was a slave in Egypt that had to deal with sexual harassment from his boss’ wife. He spent years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. But instead of whining about how God had betrayed him, he says this to his brothers in Genesis 45:8 – “It was not you who sent me here, but God.” He recognized that sometimes God’s plan for this world may be accomplished at the expense of our comfort or even our life.
I do realize that I come back to this concept repeatedly...think it's because I have to keep relearning the same lesson myself.
For thoughts on a proper response to suffering...check out Finding God's Fingerprints (you should be able to click on that, or it's listed over on the right side of this window).
Wow Matt thats deep,but i really liked it,and i was moved by it.Please post some more thoughts when you got em k.Love Tracy
ReplyDeleteI think you raise an interesting contrast, the widespread tendency to thank God for our successes publicly while not ever publicly blaming him for our defeats. I really think that it is a good thing to acknowledge God in our successes, but our distaste of the practice has to do with our suspicion of the winner's motives for doing so. I think it sometimes stems from false modesty and the victor's desire to appear magnanimous.
ReplyDeleteGreat point about Joseph and his willingness to acknowledge God as sovereign through ALL of his circumstances without then cursing Him. What a faith!
DJ
Think it's also interesting how this view that God's in charge can shape how we react to other people as opposed to how we react just to God. In Gen. 50, Joseph calms his brother's fears that he would rain hell on them after their dad died. He again referred to God's plan subverting theirs. If we truly believed that, then the idea of revenge would be non-existent.
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