"This is what the LORD says:
'Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool.
Could you build me a temple as good as that?
Could you build me such a resting place?
My hands have made both heaven and earth;
they and everything in them are mine.
I, the LORD, have spoken!
I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts,
who tremble at my word.'"
Isaiah 66:1-2 NLT
It's all His. Do I realize this, or do I try to maintain some semblance of control? Placing God in a neat little temple of sorts, a box that I've created based on my own understanding of Him that diminishes His true nature and amounts to idolatry? If I see Him operate outside of my own false perception of Him, I dismiss it, explaining it away instead of taking Him as He is in all of His power, glory and dominion. If He comes up against a wall I've created, I fail to let Him in, instead deceiving myself into believing I'm good just as I am, that there's nothing wrong with my faulty ways of coping, my worldly attitudes, or the provisions I've made for sin. I work so hard to make this form of godliness work, yet all the time denying God's real character and the power found in repentance from my sin and submitting to His indwelling, transforming Spirit (2 Timothy 3:5). I have created a whole other religion entirely.
It's time to stop.
Humble. Never admit you're wrong. Stand you ground no matter what. No regrets. It is what it is. The world teaches me to own my decisions and go forward confidently, even if my actions turn out to be wrong, hurting many in the process. In the words of John Wayne in the 1949 movie She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, "Never apologize, it's a sign of weakness."
It is in this environment where I learn a new source of strength that comes from humbling myself before the Lord, admitting when I'm wrong and being willing to repent of my damaging habits, behaviors and customs. Instead of bristling as He probes my heart, revealing the ways I offend Him in my independence that insists on getting its way, my tendency to follow my own agenda, my pride in standing on my own two feet, I can surrender to His efforts to transform me (Psalm 139:23-24, Romans 12:2). I can answer when He calls, listening to His words and apply them to my own life, heeding His warning that I'm headed in the wrong direction. Does it come naturally? No. Will it result in God's best for me? Yes.
It's time I stop resisting God's attempt to mold me into the image of His Son and instead become like putty in His hands (Romans 8:29).
Realistic. The whole concept of celebrities is strange if you think about it. As a culture, we take a regular person with problems, hangups, flaws and difficulties just like anyone else, and elevate them to a position of honor where they can be adored, admired, and idolized. We learn all we can about their tastes, habits and routines, and begin to get the feeling that we know them personally. The details of their lives are displayed at the grocery checkout, across the Internet, and highlighted on the nightly news. It seems we are connected in some way, that there is a relationship there. In reality, we don't even know these unfortunate people, only the image that has been displayed for all to see.
Don't I tend to do the same with God? Instead of getting to know Him as a living, breathing God, I learn second-hand details that may or may not be true. I buy into widely held beliefs without talking to Him personally to find out if my thinking might be off. I look at the Lord as a far-away Being who is too highly elevated to be known, so I settle for learning about Him like He's a kind of fairy-tale character. Instead, He wants to be an intimate part of my life, invited to inspect every dark corner of my heart and to be involved with every decision, heartache and triumph (Revelation 3:20) . When I get to know Him so personally, I'll find He is different than the image I'd made Him to be. I must adjust my thinking to line up with this reality instead of expecting Him to conform to mine. I can't stay as I am and grow closer to Him; I must turn away from all that offends Him and fully buy into His true purposes. Is He a cuddly, comfortable God? No. Will I find peace as I take Him as He is, not as I've made Him to be? Yes.
It's time I stop making my own image of God that doesn't line up with His true character and instead adopt a realistic impression of His magnificent nature.
Reverent. It's easy to focus on all the comfortable, cuddly parts of God and ignore what makes me uneasy. I love to think of His love, grace, mercy, compassion, kindness, patience, and generosity. It warms my heart to think of how far He has removed my sin from me through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, of my resulting full acceptance by Him, and the power over sin and death that is mine in Christ (Psalm 103:12, John 6:37, 1 Corinthians 15:57). I don't like to think of God's holy judgement that is coming, how offensive my sins are to Him, to realize my unworthiness compared to His holiness (Hebrews 9:27, Psalm 51:4, Luke 5:8). Apart from Jesus, I don't have a leg to stand on (Psalm 130:3). I'm toast.
To truly realize God's holy nature is to tremble at every Word that proceeds from His mouth, to take Him seriously instead of pushing Him aside in favor of other pursuits, to give Him any position other than the highest. Yet I tend to develop a casual attitude toward Him, getting so comfortable that I easily ignore His promptings to turn from my ways, telling myself that He understands I can't always obey or that He doesn't expect me to be "perfect". Instead of realizing the gravity of my sin, that it is such a serious offense that He went to such great lengths as to sacrifice His own precious Son to atone for those sins. My sin is not a minor crime but a major affront to His holiness. Therefore, I can't make friends with sin, justifying it to ease my conscience. I must turn away, flinging it off like the dangerous affliction that it is (Hebrews 12:1, Matthew 5:30). Is it okay for me to get comfortable with my sin? No. Will I find freedom when I repent of it and turn to God through faith in Jesus Christ? Yes (John 8:36).
It's time I stop lowering God to the position of man, believing He sees my sin as not that big of a deal and instead revere Him enough as a Holy God that I listen to Him and do what He says.
I live in my Father's World, yet I often make it out to be mine. I pride myself in my independence, make God into a cuddly teddy bear that doesn't reflect His true nature, and as a result, fail to respect Him as He deserves to be regarded. It's time for me to stop the charade and humble myself before Him, take Him as He really is instead of who I've made Him out to be, and develop a healthy respect and fear for His power and authority. As I do, I'll fully acknowledge I live in His domain.
As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust God enough to find out His true nature.
When do I make up a god that fits my own perception of Him?
How do I offend Him by refusing to let go of the sin that often defines me?
