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Posture: What is yours toward God? Part II
Posture: What is yours toward God? Part 2 – Life Over God
Written by: Marshall Shannon
I read an interesting book earlier this month on how we relate to God in our personal lives. The book is entitled With: Reimagining the Way You Relate to God. The author, Skye Jethani, sorted our relational postures toward God into five categories. Life from God, Life over God, Life for God, Life under God, and Life with God. Below is a summary of the second category, Life Over God. Perhaps my summaries over the next few days will help you think through how you relate to God in your everyday posture toward Him but to get the full impact I believe you will need to read and study the book.
Life Over God
Where Life Under God focuses on controlling God and His will by our actions while the Life Over God posture focuses on controlling God by managing a set of predictable and rational principles. It is a form of deism where God created the universe and set it into motion but He is largely uninvolved in our everyday life. This posture holds that our destinies are determined by our management of the natural laws God put into play at creation.
Where Life Under God sought control of the world through religion, “by manipulating God through ritual or morality, Life Over God posture dismisses the Life Under God posture as irrational superstition and “seeks control by discovering how the world works and then directly implementing the right principles”. It is an effort to cut God out of the picture in order to give us direct control over our lives by managing a set of laws and principles. It is a substitution problem. We replace the person of God with His principles and leave Him out of the equation altogether. We figure we can mine the principles out of God’s Word and apply them to our lives to gain control of our world without requiring Him to empower us. This is not what God intended.
In other words, if you have the repair manual why do you need the mechanic? It is the thought that we can discover and apply these principles and it doesn’t actually require a relationship with God. Nothing could be further from the truth. This is a subtle lie to get us to abandon the Creator for His creation.
We are in desperate need of Him. Neither God nor His Word is to be belittled in such a way. Again, this is a human effort to maintain control of our lives and the world we live in and it has bled into our faith. “The Life Over God posture’s emphasis on working principles may be appealing because it is far more predictable and manageable than an actual relationship with God.” Relationships can be exhausting and uncontrollable but principles are “comprehensible and clinical”. As I said yesterday, you can’t control God, no matter what posture you take toward Him. If you place your trust and hope in God’s principles rather than in God you are in for a world of hurt. There is no substitute for God and a proper relationship with Him. Commit today to cultivating your relationship with Him. Then ask Him to empower you to walk in the Spirit and in obedience to His Will and Word.
Our motivation is key in to how we posture ourselves toward God. Tomorrow we will discuss Life From God. As I said yesterday, to gain the full impact from this discussion I suggest you read and study the book to see these thoughts more fully fleshed out.
Posture: What is yours toward God?
Posture: What is yours toward God?
Written by: Marshall Shannon
I read an interesting book earlier this month on how we relate to God in our personal lives. The book is entitled With: Reimagining the Way You Relate to God. The author, Skye Jethani, sorted our relational postures toward God into five categories.
Life from God
Life over God
Life for God
Life under God
Life with God.
Below is a summary of one category, Life under God. Perhaps my summaries over the next few days will help you think through how you relate to God in your everyday posture toward Him but to get the full impact I believe you will need to read and study the book.
Life under God
This posture “sees God in simple cause-and-effect terms—we obey his commands and he blesses our lives, our families, our nation”. “Our primary role is to determine what he approves (or disapproves) and work vigilantly to remain within those boundaries.” The way to get what you want from God is to live according to His righteous expectations and He will bless you, answer your prayers and keep you from trouble. It is seeking to gain control over otherwise predictable events by incurring divine favor.
Common Statement: “If we can just stop these liberal judges, God will bless our country again.”
Common understanding: “They believe their primary calling is to live under divine rules in order to avoid calamity.” “Through our obedience we put God into our debt and expect him to do our bidding in exchange for our worship and righteous behavior.” This posture seeks to put us in authority over God.
Common view: “The life under God view puts its emphasis on appeasing God through behaviors—either in the form of rituals or morality.”
Needed correction to this posture: “Life under God cannot be a way of reestablishing a relationship with our Creator because it is actually an attempt to overthrow his rightful place.”
Common Result: “Young people raised within Christian communities are being taught a Life under God view of the faith. And when God inevitably refuses to submit to our attempt at control via morality and ritual, they become cynical and abandon the church and in many cases the faith as well. The bargain turned out to be a scam.” (Pastor Matt Chandler)
Common Response: I did my part why didn’t God do his? I obeyed his commands, attended the services, gave to the church, served in different ministries and witnessed to lost people. Why I didn’t get what I bargained for from God? Why didn’t he hold up his end of the bargain?
Common Problem for leaders: “If blessing or calamity is the result of obeying God’s rules, then keeping everyone in line becomes the paramount mission of religious leaders. Faith gets reduced to dogmatism—adherence to strict moral codes and the enforcement of boundaries and rules. In such places the clergy function as divine police officers and cultural crusaders ensuring no one violates the Almighty’s will, because it’s not just the individual on the line, but the whole community.”
Purpose of the Life under God posture: It was “intended to reduce our fears and provide greater control over our unpredictable world” by our obedience to certain rules and regulations.
Needed Realignment with God and His Word: There is no guarantee that your obedience will bring blessing and help you avoid calamity. It sure didn’t for Job.
Summary: First, you can’t buy God’s blessing and protection by your good works any more than you could buy God’s salvation by your good works. Second, you can’t control God!
Tomorrow we look at Life over God. As we navigate our way through each of these postures I would encourage you to verify each posture with the Word of God and evaluate your own life to discover how you primarily relate to God. We won’t all agree but we can make good use of this exercise to grow and develop.
Reflecting on the Perfect Plan
Reflecting on the Perfect Plan
Written by: Tom Matlock
Christmas means a little something different to everyone. With so much going on during this wonderful season, it’s easy to lose perspective. In the family of Christ, we have so much for which to be grateful. In particular, the birth of a special baby.
“The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize Him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” Luke 2:11-12 (NLT)
My Father’s perfect plan puts me in awe every Christmas. When I consider that He knew me from eternity past and made a way for me to spend eternity with Him, I am amazed at His love for me. Knowing that He sent His Son for me drives me to my knees with hands lifted high in praise and adoration.
“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” Romans 3:23 (NLT)
“For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (NLT)
“Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when He freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin.” Romans 3:24-25 (NLT)
“When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished,’ and He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.” John 19:30 (ESV)
Christmas is special because of the little baby that saved the world. Join me in praising Him this Christmas and throughout the new year for His perfect plan and finished work! May we never forget God’s greatest gift to this world…His Son, our salvation.
“For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over His kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.” Isaiah 9:6-7 (NIV)
Merry Christmas to you and yours from MEN4CHRIST!
’tis the season to be stressed out!
’tis the season to be stressed out!
Written by: Tom Matlock
Every year around the holidays, the prayer requests for relief from financial burdens, illness, marital strife, and more increase dramatically. I can only imagine, in the midst of a season that calls us to thank and celebrate Christ, satan is working overtime to distract us. Behind the smiles of holiday cheer, stress and worry can sometimes flourish, seemingly unchecked. Before we know it, we’ve taken our eyes off of God.
If stress and worry have already set in, then take just a moment to consider with me what that means. While I don’t want you to dwell on your problems, I want you examine what the root of your worry or stress may be. Perhaps you or a loved one is ill. Maybe you are concerned about the possibility of spending Thanksgiving or Christmas homeless. Whatever your situation is, ask yourself the following two questions:
1.) Have I given this to the Lord?
2.) If I have, have I taken it back and held on to it because it’s just too big for God?
I know the last question may seem absurd, but is the answer yes? Our response to our trials becomes sin when it keeps us from obeying the following passage.
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:4-8 (NIV)
When we worry, we are actually expressing our disbelief in God’s love and ability to see us through our trials. When we are overcome by stress, we are saying that somehow our disobedience is justified because of how huge our problems or struggles may be. Stress and worry both imply that our struggles are bigger than our God. That somehow even though the God of the universe overcame death to save us, He’s not able to help us through everything we encounter in daily life. This is simply not true. But regardless of the problem or the outcome, the passage above commands us to rejoice always, and not to be anxious about anything.
We have to commit ourselves to remember, in the midst of our struggles, that life is still all about God. In James, we read that our lives are just a vapor. God has been here since eternity past and will be here after this earth and it’s trials have long gone. Our purpose while here is to glorify Him in the midst of whatever we are facing and to point others to the cross. When God is at work in our lives and we are actively trusting Him, He uses us to bring others to Himself.
“I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what He has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord.” Psalm 40:1-3 (NLT)
So today, I want to encourage you not to take your eyes off of our Father for an instant. Whether you eat, drink, play, mourn, rejoice, or suffer, in whatever you do, do all to God’s glory and rejoice in Him always! Don’t elevate yourself, your needs, or your problems above that which the Lord is capable of overcoming in your midst. Instead, cultivate a deeper relationship with Him and trust Him. After all, He died so you could spend eternity with Him. He certainly won’t leave or forsake you.
Would you die for her?
Would you die for her?
Written by: Tom Matlock
According to the US Census, in 2008 roughly 1.1 million children experienced what a broken home is like firsthand. We’ve all heard for years just how bad the divorce rate is. Many sources agree that roughly 40%-50% of first marriages in the US end in divorce. -The rate only climbs on subsequent marriages.
So what’s going on? What’s happening in our homes?
While there’s no shortage of excuses: the economy, job loss, irreconcilable differences, etc…, there must be a way for the believer to help protect his home from becoming a broken one and ending up another divorce statistic. So whether you or someone you know claims to have made the wrong choice, or “fallen out of love”, consider that God’s desire for us is to grow together in Him. The answer to an enduring marriage is Christ.
Over the years, we’ve been taught to example Christ in all things to both believers and non-believers. Yet, we lose sight of Christ at the end of a long day when we walk through the door and proclaim we are ready to have our needs/wants met. While we may have clocked out at work, we can’t clock out of our responsibility to those who look for our spiritual leadership and example. We have to examine what true love really is. -It’s the kind of love that denies self, serves others, and endures all…the love of Christ. And we have to be capable, with His help, of demonstrating His love in our homes.
“For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up His life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s Word. He did this to present her to Himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church.” Ephesians 5:25-29 (NLT)
I realize there are some clear words to wives in the same chapter, but let’s focus on our responsibility as husbands. What Paul is trying to help us see is that we are to submit ourselves to oneness in Christ and give up our lives for our spouses. If you are going to love your wife with the same love Christ showed you, you have to be willing to give up your life for her. How many people did Christ die for who claim to have accepted Him and yet live for someone else? This is not unlike making a covenant to love and care for our spouse, then relaxing into a routine built around self. Those whom the Lord has blessed with a great marriage will be quick to volunteer that marriage involves hundreds, if not thousands, of small sacrifices. Just as Christ’s love for us is not based on any of our own merit, your “task” as a husband is NOT to evaluate how well your wife is living to meet your needs and fulfill her end of the marriage deal. Your responsibility is to love her unconditionally with a love that shows Christ’s love for His bride, the church.
Too big a commitment? Remember, in following Christ you are showing your wife and children why they should seek out their heavenly Father and desire to cultivate a relationship with Him. When we sacrifice ourselves, we give them every reason to give themselves to Christ.
One of my deepest desires is to see my wife and children yearn to know their Father more intimately while confidently resting in Him as their all in all. To love Him in a way that causes them to give nothing less than their best for Him and His will for their lives. The reality is, this requires a conscious, deliberate action on my part. To die daily for my wife. To love her with an unrestrained, unconditional love, borne out of the love Christ has poured out on me. Will you make the commitment to “die” daily for your spouse? Join me as we seek to become the husbands and fathers God wants us to be.
Remember, until He calls us home, be effective for Him!