Growing up in our house as a kid, there weren’t a lot of opportunities to question the rules or insert our opinions into the family plans or behavioral expectations. “Please” and “Thank you” were highly valued, and teachers and parents alike garnered respect and unquestioning acquiescence. Yes, this was partly my first-born personality; but it was also the cultural expectation.
I had friends whose parents were a little more liberal and there were vibrant, robust dialogues going on between kids and adults, often accompanied by yelling and slamming doors. They were expressing themselves. It was open communication. I was very uncomfortable.
Understandably, we come to God with some of our childhood ideas of authority and relationships, so we may read Scripture with that filter and see God as the kind of parent we grew up with. For many, this is an easy transition. For some, a new paradigm must emerge
Here’s a section of Scripture that took me back and caused me to reexamine the concept of “talking back” as opposed to “talking to” God in difficult life situations:
19One of you will say to me: "Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?" 20But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?' “21Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use? (Romans 9:19-21)
Who are you to talk back to God? What does that even mean? When something in Scripture makes me uncomfortable or makes me question what I already know, I tend to dig deeper. It seemed to me that there were things I’d read that made me believe I could pour out my heart to God – my deepest and most unattractive emotions – and that He cared and could take it all. Then, what’s this about not talking back to God? Am I encouraged to express myself fully or aren’t I?
When I looked up the references to the passage in Romans, I found these verses from Isaiah:
You turn things upside down,
as if the potter were thought to be
like the clay!
Shall what is formed say to him who
formed it,
"He did not make me"?
Can the pot say of the potter,
"He knows nothing"?
9 "Woe to him who quarrels with his
Maker,
to him who is but a potsherd among
the potsherds on the ground.
Does the clay say to the potter,
'What are you making?'
Does your work say,
'He has no hands'?
11"This is what the LORD says—
the Holy One of Israel, and its
Maker:
Concerning things to come,
do you question me about my
children,
or give me orders about the work of
my hands? (Isaiah 29:16; 45:9, 11)
If I am the clay and God is the Potter, as is described several times in Scripture, then it sounds like God gets to make decisions about how my life goes and I don’t have the right to question Him. As unappealing as this may sound to those who highly value control, it’s a good thing that God is sovereign. He is perfect and in control; we are not.
So is it true that we can fully vent to God with impunity or do these verses mean that we just have to sit down, shut up, and take what we get from God? As the apostle Paul would say, “By no means!” Instead, Peter encourages us to cast our anxiety on God because He does, in fact, care for us. (1 Peter 5:7) And the psalmist has some very real feelings of dissatisfaction to express to God in this Psalm:
1My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
So far from the words of my groaning?
2O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
by night, and am not silent. (Psalm 22:1-2)
These are words that Jesus used on the cross to express His feelings of solitude and rejection and they are considered noble expressions of emotion to God. So what’s the difference? Consider the verses that precede Peter’s exhortation to cast our anxiety on God in his letter:
5Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 6Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. (1 Peter 5:5-6)
Is it possible that humility serves as a way to calibrate my attitude before God when things aren’t clear or don’t go my way? Does my nose get bent out of shape so I argue with God, get angry, and feel entitled to explanations when my pride isn’t in check? I don’t know what the answer is for you, but for me, it’s a pretty resounding, “uh-huh”. If I’m humble, I’m more likely to cast my anxiety on God and come to Him with real issues, feeling deeply and searching for His perspective. When my pride is rearing its ugly head, I feel more insistent on His explaining things in a way I can understand, or even less appealingly, I feel entitled to get what I want. That sentiment is never held up as a virtue in Scripture.
Jesus promised His disciples rest for their souls if they (and we) would come to Him and learn from Him because He is gentle and humble. (Matthew 11:28-30) We are never promised a life without pain, discomfort, or disappointment, but we can have a life that is free from anxiety. Doesn’t that sound good? But finding peace and rest for my soul requires taking on Jesus’ command and submitting to His teaching and His ways. Soul rest. Complete contentment with my lot in life because my trust in God is solid. Yeah, I want that. I think it might look like this Psalm:
1 My heart is not proud, O LORD,
my eyes are not haughty;
I do not concern myself with great matters
or things too wonderful for me.
2 But I have stilled and quieted my soul;
like a weaned child with its mother,
like a weaned child is my soul within me. (Psalm 131:1-2)
Sovereign Lord, convict me and humble me when my pride short-circuits the transformation process you want to do in me to impact Your Kingdom. You must become greater; I must become less. Amen.
• Read and compare Luke 1:18-20 and Luke 1:34-38. What characteristics to Zechariah and Mary demonstrate? What similarities and differences are there in their encounters with a divine message? Which resonates with you more? Why?
• Read 2 Chronicles 7:13-14, Micah 6:8, Ephesians 4:2, and James 4:6-10. Ask God to reveal the truths of these passages as well as any specific application He may want to bring to your attention. Spend some time thinking about God’s character and His desires in this area of your life.
• This lesson refers to several Scripture references. Do any of them strike a chord with you? Are any enlightening? Would memorizing one or meditating or journaling on one be helpful in drawing you close to God this week?
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