So I've been reading "The Shack." Enough said. If you've read this book, more than likely you know of it's incredible ability to make you completely reevaluate your life, your motives, and your thought process. Quite a bit more than what I asked for when purchasing a fiction novel. I find myself reading each chapter, setting the book down and basically repenting. The author even throws in some unbiblical theology, and when I mean "unbiblical," I mean the stuff that's not in the bible, but at the same time, "not not" in the Bible, such as why there's a trinity as oppose to just one being in itself, etc., which is extremely thought-provoking and interesting but at the same time take it for what it is as a possibility. There are some parts you may want to take with a grain of salt but nothing I would consider to be heresy or anything like that. I've never had a book that quite messed me up like this one has and I realize how big of a mess I am and how much I need God and how screwed up my perceptions of a "relationship" with Him have been.
I feel often like I'm in a period of my life where I am in need. I'm in need to go to the next step and I'll be honest, I often feel like I know what's best for me more than God. So instead of having this intimate relationship with God and move and flow with Him, I instead use God as means to obtain what I want. I'll "confess" repeatedly and worry and complain about not having this and that, to where my biggest concern has been the achievement more so than the God. I have been more concerned about obtaining and using God as a means of getting that, then stopping and sitting at the feet of Jesus. Through my "confessions" and "standing and believing" that this will happen, I have gone from blessed servant to failed manipulator. Instead of just trusting and focusing more on the relationship with God that He so desperately wants with me, the relationship that Jesus said to seek first and trust that I will be taken care of, I've sought my own independence while prostituting God to do my "bidding."
Does this change certain circumstances in my life. No. Do I still have certain particular needs to get to the next step. Yes. But God is not a genie where I go and do my thing and when I need or want something I have Him "obey his master," when in reality, I'm not even flowing with God or moving with Him. The purpose of the cross was not for us to obtain financial blessings. It was not even so we can have our needs met. The purpose of the cross was for us to have the opportunity to have the relationship with God that intended for us to have since the dawn of man. When God walked with Adam and talked with Adam. Adam did not worry about getting enough food or shelter because he was too much enthrolled with the relationship he had and he knew that this relationship was with the great provider and by moving and flowing with Him, he could not go wrong. Jesus said to seek first the kingdom of God and all the things that pagans worry about. All of the food, the finances, etc. would come with Him. God will provide and God will guide but in a relationship, not in independence. In independence, man has found the world in the shape it is in today. Sadly, we as Christians can do the same thing but just put the "God" label on it to justify what it is we're doing. We'll "confess" and "believe" outside of the relationship and we'll give a certain amount in hopes that God will return the favor by giving us a yacht. That is not relationship, that is manipulation. We take God off of the throne and put ourselves on it, while making God the servant boy.
I feel often like I'm in a period of my life where I am in need. I'm in need to go to the next step and I'll be honest, I often feel like I know what's best for me more than God. So instead of having this intimate relationship with God and move and flow with Him, I instead use God as means to obtain what I want. I'll "confess" repeatedly and worry and complain about not having this and that, to where my biggest concern has been the achievement more so than the God. I have been more concerned about obtaining and using God as a means of getting that, then stopping and sitting at the feet of Jesus. Through my "confessions" and "standing and believing" that this will happen, I have gone from blessed servant to failed manipulator. Instead of just trusting and focusing more on the relationship with God that He so desperately wants with me, the relationship that Jesus said to seek first and trust that I will be taken care of, I've sought my own independence while prostituting God to do my "bidding."
Does this change certain circumstances in my life. No. Do I still have certain particular needs to get to the next step. Yes. But God is not a genie where I go and do my thing and when I need or want something I have Him "obey his master," when in reality, I'm not even flowing with God or moving with Him. The purpose of the cross was not for us to obtain financial blessings. It was not even so we can have our needs met. The purpose of the cross was for us to have the opportunity to have the relationship with God that intended for us to have since the dawn of man. When God walked with Adam and talked with Adam. Adam did not worry about getting enough food or shelter because he was too much enthrolled with the relationship he had and he knew that this relationship was with the great provider and by moving and flowing with Him, he could not go wrong. Jesus said to seek first the kingdom of God and all the things that pagans worry about. All of the food, the finances, etc. would come with Him. God will provide and God will guide but in a relationship, not in independence. In independence, man has found the world in the shape it is in today. Sadly, we as Christians can do the same thing but just put the "God" label on it to justify what it is we're doing. We'll "confess" and "believe" outside of the relationship and we'll give a certain amount in hopes that God will return the favor by giving us a yacht. That is not relationship, that is manipulation. We take God off of the throne and put ourselves on it, while making God the servant boy.
This imperfect mess of a man is going to work on his mess.
Man, do I suck.
Never in my life, have I wanted to walk on water so bad.
Man, do I suck.
Never in my life, have I wanted to walk on water so bad.
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