Apparent Myth #2

Okay, I've been putting this off for a long time because I fear that my writing abilities will fail me as I attempt to put this mental wispiness into words.

Please know that the following is not in any way meant to shame or chastise anyone. I only mean to exhort believers (myself included) to be wary.

Here goes...oh, man, I don't even know how to word it, um, okay...apparent myth #2: A genuine believer in Christ doesn't take God's Name in vain.

By "taking God's Name in vain", I don't mean shrieking, "Oh my God!" when you see your friend's brand new car. Rather, I mean attributing messages or causes to God that do not have their origin in Him.

Now, instead of launching into a lengthy diatribe, I shall tell a tale whence the appearance of this myth hath sprung.

Years ago, we knew a young woman who had just become a Christian. (I'll call her Chrissy.) A couple of months after she began to trust in Jesus, she told me that God had told her to stop going to the college she was then attending and to start attending a different college nearby.

Intrigued that this new believer felt she was so clearly discerning God's voice, I asked her how God had conveyed that message to her.

"He just told me," she said. "It was totally obvious."

To tell you the truth, I felt a bit jealous. I'd been a believer for years at that point and had continuously sought God's clear direction in multiple situations, and although I could regularly see His blessings in those situations, I didn't recall having experienced anything of which I could honestly say, "God told me."

Well, Chrissy enrolled at the new college and before her first semester was over, she announced that God had now told her to go to yet another college. You probably see what's coming so I'll just cut to the chase: over the next couple of years, Chrissy never finished a course of study at any college, she went on a mission from which she returned early and she held a number of jobs for just a couple of months each and all of this was supposedly due to God's direction. Each time that she would announce the new turn her focus was taking, she would hold the "God told me" banner up high for all to see.

I understand that God's ways are not man's ways and that we shouldn't put God in a box, yet if one was to watch Chrissy's life, one was likely to think one of two things: either Chrissy was wrong about God's directives OR God was one confused fellow.

I bring this up today because I see similar (though perhaps not as drastic) instances of this regularly. People at times give God credit for things that I'm not sure He wants credit for. People often say that God told them to do something that might have simply been one honorable option among many.

Yes, yes, yes, God can do whatever He wants, including telling His people various and multiple messages in regards to anything. I simply think we need to be very careful what we attribute to Him, not throwing His name around like a logo or a stamp of approval.

Even if a "false prophet" has the best of intentions, (s)he is still prophesying falsely. I won't bother speculating on the reasons why we take God's Name in vain in this manner, but the results can be that God looks bad to others and God can become highly displeased because of our own careless words. The Old Testament is full of God's declarations against those who said He had said things that He had never said.

Instead of saying, "God told me..." or "God wants me to...", why not say, "I think God may be directing me to..." or "It seems as if God wants me to...". That way, if I end up being obviously wrong, then I haven't besmirched God in the process.

Stress in Discernment:

Recently, a woman told me that God had told her to do something. I wasn't trying to challenge her, but my curiosity spurred me to ask her straight out, "How did He tell you?" If He truly had told her, then it seemed her answer would be a ready one which she would be excited to share with me.

She seemed a bit uncomfortable with my query, but responded that He told her by telling her. (Yeah, I didn't quite get it either.) I didn't want to upset her, so I didn't push the question and I simply listened as she went on to detail the rest of her situation.

A bit later on in the conversation, she exhorted me in my own life with, "Well, Aimee, if God tells you to do something then you need to do it!"

Uh...yeah, but the question becomes, how do I know if God is in fact telling me to do something?

I know that I am to care for orphans and widows. I know that I am to pay taxes. I know that I am not to steal. I know that I am not to gossip. These things are all made perfectly clear in Scripture.

However, much of my day to day life is made up of activities for which there are no clear directives in Scripture.

I used to stress about this, thinking (for example), "God needs to tell me if I should plan our trip to San Diego or to Morro Bay!" I'd seek direction in this and receive no obvious directives. Our lives would be altered in various ways through either trip, so why didn't God make it clear so we'd experience the alterations He wanted?

It greatly relieved my mind when I heard, "Love God with all your heart and do whatever you want." I love this little phrase that some may consider trite.

We can bring a lot of stress on ourselves trying to figure out what God's will is for whatever situation we are facing. When we do this, our focus turns inward: What am I doing wrong that's keeping me from hearing God's voice? Am I in some sin that is stopping my ears? I must be doing something wrong because I'm not getting any clear answers.

God is to be our focus, not ourselves nor even our own ability to figure things out.

Yes, I pray for guidance in whatever I seek to do, but if the way is not made clear (which it very often is not) then I can do whatever honorable option seems the wisest and best and not worry about it! God promises to liberally give us wisdom when we ask for it (James 1:5). What is wisdom? Webster's says, "insight, good sense, judgment". Wisdom is His promise to us, not a big, blinking, florescent, arrow-shaped sign that will obviously point out the "right" option. (Remember: Love God and do what you want!)

I could ramble on a bit more (and after I post this, I'll probably want to rewrite the whole thing), but God's telling me that it's time to stop. (Just kidding.)

I'd really love to hear whatever any of you have to say about this, even if you think I've got it wrong--just please use Scripture to prove your points if you're adamant about them. I know that some of you have had to make some much bigger decisions than I ever have and therefore have more experience in discerning God's will. Just remember, though, that I didn't say He doesn't tell us things, I simply said we need to be very careful about proclaiming that He has done so out of respect for Him.

Discussing Elephants

Alright, alright, so the creature from my last post is not really our new dog. In fact, I'm not sure it's really a dog at all--a deep-fried rat, perhaps? (Can you imagine what it's breath must smell like? Ugh...) However, that picture makes me laugh every time I see it, so I had to concoct some reason to post it, ridiculous or otherwise.

On to more serious matters...

I crave honesty.

Not complete honesty on all subjects. Things such as wearing mascara, telling a child that her drawing of a goat (uh...horse?) is "lovely" and asinine tales of recent pet adoptions are all perfectly acceptable examples of "dishonesty" in my opinion. However, if I'm having a conversation with a fellow human being, I want to have confidence in the genuineness of the exchange. Otherwise, it's a waste of time and vocal cord vibrations.

Throughout my life, my attempts at discussing whatever elephant was presently in the room have had varied results. I've been misunderstood, accused of complaining and of being rude. Other times, my relationships with people were deepened and a greater level of understanding and respect was established. I'll risk the former to reap the latter.

With this in mind, I offer you my take on a couple of subjects. I'll refer to them as "Apparent Myths". These are things that some people would rather not talk about although we all may spend plenty of time thinking about them. I'll start with one that is unlikely to offend.


Apparent Myth # 1: Because of my mindful obedience to God, He is indebted to me.

Now, just reading that, most Christians will say, "Duh. That's clearly a myth. Thanks for pointing out the totally obvious." However, a truth that we can easily recognize on a shallow level is not necessarily regarded as such in the depths of our psyches.

Let me illustrate--I used to look at families around me who were struggling with one or more of their children and I'd immediately comfort myself with thoughts like, "Well, the parents must not _____ or _______. If they'd just ______, then things would be better. That won't happen with us because Jeff and I are committed to _______." Through living life a little longer, I can no longer comfort myself with such thoughts.

In the past decade or so, I've witnessed a lot of families who did everything "right" and some of their offspring still have gotten into some serious trouble. People who I respect deeply for their own devotion to God and for the wise choices they've made are left weeping, wondering, "What did I do wrong?"

There's the myth. We assume that if we've done everything as we ought to, then our kids will grow up to love, honor, and serve God. That's an excellent desire to have--a noble desire to have, yet God will not violate our children's free will in order to reward us for our own behavior.

I now realize that one or both of my kids could end up: divorced, on drugs, as an unwed parent, as a nominal Christian or even an atheist. (There are more options, but I have a hard time seeing to type while cringing so tightly.)

Neither of them is presently doing anything to make me think the above scenarios are likely, and Jeff and I will do every right thing in our power to keep them from happening, but reality is that, ultimately, kids grow up and make their own decisions for their own lives.

So am I dissing Proverbs 22:6, "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it."? No. That verse very often proves true. Keep in mind that Proverbs are sayings which are born out of the observations of wise people. They are generally true, but they aren't on the same level as the promises of God which are always true. For example, "He who finds a wife finds a good thing..." (Proverbs 18:22) is not always true. Nor is, "Poverty and shame will come to him who disdains correction..." 13:18, (just look at today's gangsta rappers).

Some kids who grow up in a loving, two parent home where their physical, emotional and mental needs are met and who are consistently and justly corrected, still sin--sometimes in big, life-wrecking ways. Am I suggesting that parenting is pointless, that we shouldn't daily aim to meet our children's needs and we needn't bother disciplining them consistently and justly? Of course not. I simply want to expose the fallaciousness of the myth, "Because of my mindful obedience to God, He is indebted to me."

This myth rears its head in lots of areas in our lives (not just in regards to the similarly DNA-ed people whom we love the most in the world). When we recognize the inaccuracy of it, there is a sense of freedom. Our service to God is less about us trying to control everything "just so" or trying to get brownie points from God to get a desired effect. It becomes more about simply knowing that God is worthy of our obedience regardless of the outcome. It alleviates our anxiety, reminding us that God's love for us is truly based on grace, not on our performance and that regardless of the horrors that await us in life, He will always be there--not because He's obligated to be, but because He wants to be.

Comments, agreements, dissensions???

There are at least two more apparent myths simmering in the back of my brain, but I'm done for now.

Aimee