MY GOD OR THE GOD

Been thinking lately about the God I (and others) believe in, worship, love, pray to, long for, and share with others. Sadly, I think that a lot of us love the theory or idea of God more than God Himself.

Of course, this is seen in those who love to talk and read about the philosophies and proofs of God’s existence more than they love to seek God Himself. I also believe that it’s seen in the fact that often we are believing in, worshiping, loving, praying to, longing for, and sharing with others the god of our desires and imagination rather than the God of the Bible…the God who really is the great “I am.”

Why do we do this? Because it’s easier to commit ourselves to a god that adjusts to our needs and serves our interests than the One True God who demands that we adjust to His desires and serve His interests.

In case you think this doesn’t happen, let me encourage you to do two things. First, check out Exodus 32. The Israelites didn’t reject the God who brought them out of bondage from Egypt. They just reshaped Him in order to make Him into a god more in keeping with their desires… a god they could see and control. Second, I want to encourage you to be honest with yourself. As you look at the way you seek God and pray, can you see a tendency to shape Him into a god more to your desires and liking? Though I fight against this tendency, it is definitely in me. For me, it’s seen when I start praying to God like He’s supposed to be my genie in the bottle rather than the God I’m to fully adjust my life to follow and obey.

Though in the short-term, shaping a god to our desires can feel good and appear to work, in the long run, the fact that it doesn’t work becomes unmistakably obvious. Of course, it can’t work. An imaginary god, like an imaginary friend, is, well…imaginary. An imaginary god, no matter how beautifully fashioned, is no god at all. Just ask the Israelites about the power and benefit of the golden calf they fashioned as their god. You might as well look to your favorite piece of art or favorite tree to help you, comfort you, change your life, hear your prayers, etc.  It may feel good to have a god that you can see and control, but, at the same time, it’s worthless.

In light of this, I would encourage you to take a close look at the God you are believing in, worshiping, loving, praying to, longing for, following, and sharing with others. Make sure it’s the One True God and not a god of your own making. Though you may find that He makes demands on you that aren’t comfortable or convenient, (have you read Matthew 10:37-39 or Romans 12:1-2), you will also find that having a relationship with the One True God is the only thing that helps make sense out of this often senseless world.