GODISNOWHERE.
How did you read that? God is no where? God is now here?
I can't take credit for that. I actually first saw that in a seminary class a long time ago. But, it grabs my attention. It challenges me. Though how we first read that is not necessarily any indication of our heart, it does point to the two choices we have. Either God is now here or God is no where.
But, often it seems like we think there is a third option, an in-between option...that maybe that there is a God but He isn't like, right here all the time...you know, a kind of "From a Distance" (Bette Midler) idea about God. That God is real...from a distance.
Along these lines, a couple Sundays ago I scribbled these two questions down on my bulletin...
Do you believe the living God designed and created this world? And is still involved in our world?
or
Do you believe God is someone we have created to make sense of life, to help us find comfort, direction, and peace?
If I believe the first, then God exists. Period. Always and at all times, and is near.
If I believe the second, then God exists only when I need Him.
Of course, I want to be all in on the first camp, but if I am truly honest, there are many times where I treat God like the second. He exists only when I need Him....which is impossible. If someone only exists when I need them, then he is no more than an imaginary friend. Not God.
We need to examine our belief.
In case you've missed it, believe is a key word in all this. Often it seems we equate belief and knowledge. Yet, the two aren't the same. Think back to many of Jesus' listeners in his day. One of Jesus' followers, John, writes about them that, " Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him (John 12:37). They knew what Jesus had done and saw his miracles with their very own eyes, but did not believe.
Likewise, we may know that God created the world, we may say He entered the world as a man, Jesus. We may have the right answer to say Jesus gave me salvation on the cross. We may claim that His Spirit lives in me.
And then we go about our business...solo. We may wish for it to be different, but we are nevertheless living life on our own.
What does this say about what we believe? Do we believe God is NOW HERE?
If we do, solo is not the way we are to live life.
Knowledge is important. Our belief in God is shaped by what we know. It's why we have Bible Studies, sermons, and speak God's truth to each other. But we need to be sure that we lay bear our hearts before God, and dare I say before others, and pray for belief transformation.
Romans 12:1-2 states, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
This verse has some things that are our responsibility and some that are God's. Our first job is to offer ourselves to God--this is worship. This is not a one-time event, but an ongoing lifestyle of surrender. Our second responsibility falls right in with our worship, we are to resist living like the world around us, i.e. living life on our own. As far as God's responsibilities, He makes awesome promises to transform us, renew us, and provide good, pleasing, and perfect direction for our lives.
We can't do God's part, so let's talk about our part--our ongoing lifestyle of surrender. An important part of it is prayer which is a lot more normal than we often think. It's not about acting pious, it is a place where we are welcomed with all of our flaws; we can have unfiltered honesty. People who prayed all wordy bugged Jesus anyway. I love the cry of the demon possessed boy's father in Mark 9 as he approached Jesus to heal his son. Jesus said to the father: "Everything is possible for him who believes," and the father said: “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
I think that is where most of us fall most of the time. Believing and unbelieving. Knowing and forgetting. God is now here and then we go and live life on our own. A key starting place in all that back and forth is to be honest prayers, to live open lives before God--with all of our complexities--and give God room to transform our fickle attitudes toward Him.
"Do you believe what you know? Do you believe that God is now here with you?
It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick (Matthew 9:12, Mark 2:17, and Luke 5:31)." We are all sick. We are all desperate for God's healing touch to reshape and sharpen our focus on Him. Let's lay ourselves bare before the God who transforms us, inviting Him to help us overcome our unbelief.
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