I have to admit to times of thinking “I wish that would happen to/for me.” I hear this fantastic testimony of someone-maybe a healing or a miraculous answer to prayer-and even as I write this I can still hear me saying, “What about me God?” I do the recounting of all that I have “done for God” and therefore deserve whatever it is. There are many fallacies to that way of thinking besides a works-oriented “I deserve this” approach to God. One more glaring error is thinking that just because God did something one way for one person, He has to is going to do the same for me. I won’t lie to you and say that “pastor envy” is not a constant battle many of us face. Please don’t get me wrong here. I know who I am in Christ. I am truly thankful that God has put me where He has. I have no regrets in that at all. But if most pastors are honest they will admit to seeing “growing green grass” on the other side of the fence. But God is not in our box nor can He be put there. John Eldredge wrote the following in his book Wild at Heart:
The spiritual life cannot be made suburban. It is always frontier and we who live in it must accept and even rejoice that it remains untamed.” Howard Macy -p.208
Let me put it into other words: God is not in a rut as to how He is going to work. What works for one may not be the way He chooses to work for another. There are no formulas with God. If there are no formulas with God, then it only stands to reason that there are no set formulas for the way God deals with us. For further proof of that truth, check out this Scripture: “Oh, the depths of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor? Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?’ For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” Rom.11:33-36 Okay, so sometimes the Bible is unclear in what it says. But this is not one of those times! God will work but it just may not be the way I want Him to.
You know what? I am glad. Sameness=boring=blahness (I know that is not word but please forgive me for using it). I know there are some people who need routine and this is not a slam against them at all. But I, for one, am so glad that God chooses to operate differently, for different people, in different ways. I would just hate to serve a predictable God who had no imagination. How boring and uninspiring that would be!!
How about you? Do you like sameness? Has God been unpredictable to you? How has He surprised you lately? OR have you missed His surprises because your eyes have been closed to His unpredictable ways? I would like to hear your thoughts.
Bill, thanks for being so transparent here…those “what about me” moments are not just Pastor issues tho’ When I struggle with those moments His grace is there to remind me of my choices. What am I accepting or believing? What am I holding on to that needs to be dropped? And the real kicker…who do you say that I am?
Those questions and more importantly, my answers, go a long way in my acceptance or rejection of “sameness” or those things that would rob me of life.
“God asks no man whether he will accept life. That is not the choice. You must accept it. The only choice is how”. — Henry Ward Beecher
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10 NIV
Thanks for sharing your insight Bro’
Jay: great comment! Thanks for sharing your insights. I like the quote as well. Will have remember to write that one down. Your wisdom on this subject is needed.
I’ve found that God is far from predictable in my life as well. He is definitely moving in ways that I never would have guessed.
Thank you for sharing this.
Michael: because we have written I know your thoughts. I am excited to see what God is going to do in your life! It will be awesome and totally unpredictable.
Great post for pastors and other minsitry leaders. So glad you took the time to write it!
When I first read the word “blahness” I thought it said “baldness”. Imagine my short-lived amusement
Hi Cycleguy,
God is certainly a personal God. He deals with us and communes with us where our life is at. We all have different things going on in our lives at any given moment of time.
The question might be ‘can we love God no matter what?’ Can we love him when the stall is empty, the Bible says? Can we love him when the crops fail?
I don’t think that I have been put to this test yet. That day may come. However, this is my day to glorify God in whatever circumstances that I find myself. To God be the power and majesty forever.
Scott: Thanks. And about that baldness: all I gotta do is look in the mirror.
Linda: Agree that today (everyday) is the day to glorify God.
I must say I don’t think I have ever been at a place where GOd was ho hum or ritual in my life. Of course there have been MANY times when I have. It seems to be the times when I think God is NOT working that maybe weeks or even years later I see how His hand was working and I am AMAZED. He is such a creative God! Someone recently told me that their pastor preached about ” Don’t think out of the box when it comes to being a Christian” I laughed because it sounded like God was this bland carboard, no emotion or color God..My soul He created a peacock and a swan and clouds and crazy me..I think God is beyond our wildest imagination creative. He can make us women from a rib bone…I think God has a sense of humour too..I don’t know maybe I am being disrespectful but my God is anything but boring and rote. Don’t ya think Bill? Am a rambling? lol!
I don’t like sameness because God never created any two fingerprints to be the same (not even twins). He loves uniqueness, and so do I. Lovely thoughts today, thank you so much.
Julie: Rambling? You?
I agree with you on God being creative and anything but boring and rote. I about choked when I read what the pastor said. Yikes! Thanks Julie for your thoughts.
Jaycee: good to have you back! I don’t like sameness either. The way He has made man sure shows He doesn’t either.
I have been blessed to figure out that God works differently with different people. I say blessed because life was terrible trying to figure out why God was not working for me like He worked others. The way God dealt with Moses was different from Elijah and that was different that with the apostle Paul.
This was a ministry changing discovery – thanks for reminding me of it today!
Jim: what a great and freeing discovery that is! Fantastic that you know it. You are absolutely right that God works differently in all of us. Thanks for the comment.
That quote from Romans is very good.
God is new every time you notice Him. The challenge is to find wonder and inspiration in that newness, rather than frustration or resentment.
I love your enthusiastic writing!
Ivan
Ivan: Romans is an awesome book full of good stuff. You hit the nail when you said He is new and the challenge is to find wonder and inspiration. Thanks for the kind words. Thanks for stopping by.
Bill – Wanted you to know I linked to this post in the 073010 issue of my “Don’t Stop Growing” posts:
http://bit.ly/9LFtrf
God bless!
Thanks Scott. I saw it but didn’t get a chance to say thanks on your site.
No need to thank me. Just wanted you to know.