As I look around the world today, I find myself often thinking of those who believe that if the earth was created at all, the Creator wound it up like a watch and left it ticking on its own. This thought is common among non-Christians, but before I get too critical, what of us Christians? We who say we love and serve God - do we live as though He is concerned about the most intimate details of our lives?
I've heard it said quite often lately that "Ideas have consequences." The Bible puts it this way: Prov 23:7 "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he... ." (KJV) Since the Bible teaches there's a connection between our thoughts and our actions, it's extremely important that we get a proper view of God, ourselves as Christians, and the world.
First, however, let's examine why people, including some Christians, might prefer to live as though God is distant. What is there in man that attracts him to the belief that God is not intimately involved with His creation? What would someone gain from holding that view besides pessimism, depression, and perhaps fatalism and hopelessness? The answer to these questions gives us a glimpse into ourselves, for that temptation is common to all people.
Thinking of God as distant promotes independence. (That is the very thing Eve was deceived by in the Garden - the idea of equality with, and thus, independence from God.) If God was unconcerned with, or too busy to watch over the details of our lives, we could do as we choose. There is no accountability to a distant God (except perhaps a general moral accountability). We could have our own lives, and God as well. - He would be our "death insurance" (the "payoff" being eternal life in heaven), but the gospel would have little impact on our life. Thinking of God as distant relieves us of the responsibility of keeping up our end of a personal relationship with Him. We wouldn't need to get really involved with prayer, because God is so busy He only has time to hear a sentence or two. His distance would eliminate the responsibility of learning to trust Him, to ask for and receive His plan, wisdom, and guidance for our present lives, and our future. In short, God's distance would enable us to live unsurrendered, selfish lives, which is just the opposite of what our Lord asks of us.
What is the fruit, or result of such thinking? I believe a sentence from the Bible describes the situation well - Hosea 8:7 For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind...(KJV). It is important to realize the consequences of our ideas today, for I truly believe there has been some of this kind of thinking in the church as a whole. When we Christians get more involved with our church structure, programs, attendance, or whatever than we do in growing closer to God Himself, we are out of God's rest. This means we are trying to perfect ourselves in the flesh (because God seems distant), which results in living independently of God. We aren't "abiding in the Vine" (Jn 15), which is the only way Jesus says there will be good fruit produced in our lives. The fruit we are to produce is not of ourselves, our own nature, but instead, it is Jesus' life flowing through us. That is why whenever we are not abiding (living in close relationship) with Him, we are "sowing the wind."
What is this wind of unsurrendered "Christian" existence producing in those under our care, the next generation, who see this as their only example of Christian life? Could this "whirlwind" we reap include young people who can't stand effectively against the thinking of the world because they don't know God intimately enough? (If they really knew Him intimately, even if they couldn't logically refute the arguments being spoken against God in the universities, they wouldn't believe them.) Could the turmoil of rebellion, drugs, premarital sex and pregnancy, abortions, homosexuality, and suicide that so often touches even Christian youth be part of the whirlwind we are reaping?
What does God say about us and His concern (or lack thereof) about the details of our lives? Here's one Bible passage that spells it out quite clearly:
Matt 6:26-33 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (KJV)
The Bible tells us clearly of God's love and care for His creation. In looking at the above passage, let's consider for just a moment why God would be so concerned about the intimate details of our lives. Wouldn't His care for us leave us free to turn down some of those overtime hours at work so we could spend more time with our families? Wouldn't it free us, if we truly trusted Him, to be less preoccupied with worries about the economy and our finances so we could be more present to our families and others when we were home? In general, wouldn't His watchcare free us from being slaves to materialism so that we could freely and effectively be vessels of honor for His use? What a promise He offers us here - not a promise of wealth to satisfy our greed, but a promise of provision so we can be more concerned with serving Him!
I've heard it said that God has no grandchildren. We must take a look at our lives prayerfully, brothers and sisters. Is God distant to us, or do we sense His presence, His help, His guidance, His comfort, His grace on a day by day basis? If we don't, it isn't because He has moved - it's because we have. What does He say to us if we find ourselves in this position? Isa 55:6-9: Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. (KJV)
God will help us, brothers and sisters, if we but acknowledge any sin the Holy Spirit reveals to us. He is not there to condemn us, but to draw us and our families back to Himself. It is not too late to come to His throne, repent for our independence, and ask Him to be not only our God, but God of our families as well. God will hear every earnest cry of our hearts, and He will begin to change things in our lives and those of our families if we but turn to Him with all our hearts and let knowing, loving, and obeying Him be our goal.
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