You’re wise when you take time to reflect on recent experiences. Virtually any posture or position works when reflecting. Well, as long as you have coffee. You must coffee.
” ‘Scuse me! Hul-LUH-oh? Anybody in there?”
“Please. Sh-h-h. I’m reflecting.”
“You’re what? You’re reflec—”
“Ah-ah? Please. Sh.”
You’re thinking this is about reflection. You’re right. I think because of my basic intuitive, introverted nature I always did some sort of nominal reflection. During my residency, my mentors helped me discipline and focus that strength.
Easter. God. Christ. Salvation. Faith. Men and women. Heaven. Eternity.
That’s a lot to absorb in a weekend and there’s plenty upon which to reflect. Here’s what is settling more and more in my spirit.
Detractors of the Christian walk accuse God and, by association, His people of forcing this Jesus stuff down their throats. Millennia of teens have tried this one on their parents AS IF no one’s ever heard it before.
“I’ll never force this God crap on MY kids! I don’t HAVE to believe the way YOU do!”
All true. You can never force another to believe something against their will. And every one of us believes what we choose: me, you, him, her in the yellow print whatever-that-is, oldster walking the rotund Pekinese. So you’re spot on.
Nobody told you that you have to believe in Jesus Christ. You know what we’d do with that, right? If God set this all up to where we don’t have a choice in the matter and He decides for us?
“It’s GOD’s fault! He MADE me do it!”
“Oh–I’D never do that!”
Sure, you would. As long as God’s choosing in ways that agree with your plans it’s great. But when God chooses what runs cross-grain to your choices and you don’t like His?
Yuppers. “Just want to make this clear – this is NOT WHAT I WANT. I don’t like it, don’t want it, but God’s being a big bully A-gain. Big deal, right? I mean, who gets to argue with GOD, huh?”
You do. That’s GRACE in action. Nothing you’ll ever see in this life will ever equip you to grasp the stunning completeness of God’s grace flowing into every life that chooses to walk with Him. As far as God’s Sovereign will goes, you won’t affect it at all. Through His permissive will, though, Grace means you CAN reject Him if you try hard enough. You can turn your back on salvation through Jesus, and an eternity with everything and everyone that’s part of Heaven and His limitless Universe.
So. God knows everything and still loves you so much He’ll let you have your way if that’s what you really want. You can argue with God and win your argument.
You’ll just lose the case.
© D. Dean Boone, March 2016