James’ Blog

The Response of Trust

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 10:51:51 -0700

The Response of Trust

For the creation (me and you) to respond to the Creator (God) is simply to acknowledge our finiteness and His infiniteness. Def. respond – to take action, to act in reaction to something else What is our response to God to look like? In a word - TRUST ! Trust is an action. When I trust, I give control of my (finite) life to one who is Infinite. In doing so, I’m trusting that He will resource me in a way, I could never resource myself.

To deny God (a response of trust) is simply called sin. It is to ascribe attributes to ourselves we do not possess. We are finite. If you doubt this, read the obituaries. If it’s not obvious now, hang in there, it will be. If we are to continue beyond what WE are able to sustain, it’s obvious, we need an outside source.

To trust (have faith in) God, is to simply but actively – surrender control of our thoughts, feelings, emotions and decisions. In doing so, we acknowledge our need for resourcing that is beyond ourselves.

I’m grateful God is completely unchanging and that He is completely good. Because He is unchanging, He will never vary in His loving-kindness! He has never been kinder than He is now, now will He ever be less kind.

The greatness of God can and should rouse fear (a reverential awe – Jesus translated the fear of God into the “worship” of God) His goodness encourages us not to be afraid of Him. To fear and not be afraid – the paradox of Trust!

Thoughts on God Part 1

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 00:45:03 -0700

Thoughts on God

A thought to ponder…
Of the two following questions, which would you say is more important? Is it more important what GOD thinks about you, or, what YOU think about God? Does one have priority over the other? Does it matter?

At first glance, you may think, “Of course, what GOD thinks of us is of far more importance than our thoughts regarding Him. He created the dirt, we’re the dirt. What would He care one way or the other about “my” thoughts for Him? After all, He has the power to do as He wills. He could wipe me out with one twitch of His finger. If he made a human from dirt, He could just as easily reverse the process. And after all, who cares what dirt thinks. Certainly my thoughts or opinions about God matter little to God.”

Jumping to Conclusions…
Before you decide, consider Heb. 11:6.

And without faith (greek pistis - trust – a firm persuasion) it is impossible to please (greek – euaresteo – to gratify entirely) Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

I’m grateful Genesis isn’t a story of God molding and shaping a handful of dirt into a humanoid figure, winding it up and then amusing Himself by watching it bumble and stumble through the rest of the creation. Instead, it describes the creator drawing the crowning jewel of creation close and breathing of His own life, of His own being into him. Something of who God is, was transferred into us, enabling us to RELATE. This is AMAZING. The God of the Universe wants to hang out with us.

Hebrews 11:6 reveals HOW He wants to relate. He doesn’t say, “I’m your creator, you MUST relate”. He wants us to WANT to relate. A relationship that “pleases”, gratifies fully, requires of the creation, a certain mindset, or a certain heart attitude. That is, in all of our responses to Him, in all of our emotions directed toward Him and all of our emotions derived from Him, in all decisions to follow, to obey, to submit; all our thoughts toward Him are to flow from an effortless response of TRUST. God is not going to be fully gratified if we are relating to Him out of obligation, compulsion, fear or any other emotion. And neither will we!

Trust is the key …
God said, if we obey with a motive, a mindset other than trust; if we approach Him to converse, if we approach to make a request, if we decide to make a “life” turn, whether right or left and He in any way factors into that decision or request, then TRUST for HIM is to be the overarching emotion or mindset. He could have given us any other emotion to filter our responses to Him through; yet He tells us that He will not be satisfied, gratified or fulfilled in a relationship with us that is not characterized by TRUST. In this way, GOD is telling us, what WE think ABOUT Him, is very important TO Him. If the relationship is to be fulfilling for both parties involved, it will be because God so loved. He lovingly created us. Then, He lovingly allows the object of His affection, the creation to “choose” to respond to Him. He allows the creation the choice to reject the creator. We are not forced to respond to God. We’re not forced to love God. Any relationship that is “a forced relationship” is not a love (trust) relationship. We’re not forced into some kind of shotgun wedding with God. God allows us and wants us to decide, to choose to respond to Him in trust – not out of fear. This is what brings satisfaction and fulfillment to the heart of God. Our trust is what makes His relationship with us and ours with Him, completely fulfilling!

to be continued ...

Are you to be "afraid" of God?

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 09:56:41 -0700

The FEAR (yirah - a reverential awe) of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever. Ps. 111:10

Wisdom is the ability to know "how" to apply knowledge in a practical setting. Understanding is having the "discretion", the "when and where" to apply that knowledge. Being "scared" of God, or anybody else for that matter, has never created a nurturing environment allowing people to freely, and positively put into practice what they're learning. How well did you ever do on any assignment, task or a decision made when you were afraid? How safe did you feel approaching someone you were afraid of? Fear of failure has the ability to paralyze and prohibit fearless, joyful obedience.

Jesus said that when we finally obey (do - submit to) His commandments, it's ultimately in response to the "love" of God, not by being afraid of God. (John 14:15) (…and the reason we're not currently obeying is because we are afraid - afraid it won't be in our best interest, afraid it will take us from away from our own plans, desires, dreams, away for that guy, that girl, etc.)

He also said repentance is the result of the "goodness" of God, not a fear of the wrath or the judgment of God. (Rom 2:4) He said the greatest commandment is to "love" God with all our heart, mind and soul (btw. we are “commanded” to love God with our whole being – commanded, not optional - Matt 22:37) and (1 John 4:17) says there is no "fear" in love; (here’s why, because ….) perfect love can “and needs to" expel fear because fear is always associated with torment.

At the end of Ps. 111:10 - there's only a small crowd hanging around God if He really is demanding us to be scared, afraid and dealing with the torment that is always present with fear.

(hmmmm..... side thought … I wonder if that is why people aren't turning to God - after all, we seem to think and subsequently tell the world He has a personality much like the Wicked Witch of the West - that at the drop of a hat, He might rustle up a hurricane, or an earthquake, so He can drop a house on you ...)

At the end of Ps. 111:10, there's nobody "praising" (Hebrew for lauding) a God who demands they be fearful and are experiencing the accompanying torment.

God never uses fear as a motivator to get humanity to respond. He so loved (valued, esteemed and cherished) the world, He sent His Son to die for them... (John 3:16) Any response from any other emotion other than love, will not produce a loving relationship.

Misc. Quotes

Wed, 2 Dec 2009 15:13:16 -0700

FORGIVENESS “A good marriage is the union of two forgivers.” - Ruth Bell Graham.
LISTENING Retire from the world each day to some private spot. Stay in the secret place till the surrounding noises begin to fade out of your heart and a sense of God’s presence envelops you. Deliberately tune out the unpleasant sounds and come out of your closet determined not to hear them. Listen for the inward voice till you learn to recognize it. - A.W. Tozer
KINDNESS “Often the only thing a child can remember about an adult in later years, when he or she is grown, is whether or not that person was kind.” - Billy Graham
WORRY “Worry is a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind. If it continues, it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained.”

Be Who God Created You to Be

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 15:45:23 -0600

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—and how well I know it. Ps. 139:13-14

Whether you think you can or whether you think you can't, you're right.
Henry Ford

You see things; and you say 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say 'Why not?'
George Bernard Shaw

To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.
Maya Angelou