For the word of the
Lord is right,
and all His work is trustworthy. Psalm 33:4
Math is not my strong suit.
I have to giggle as I write these words. And I know my
husband will be howling with laughter when he reads this. I’m so much NOT a numbers girl, I’m almost handicapped.
At least that’s what I'd thought.
But I’ve recently discovered that my view of God is filtered
through an algebraic mind-set. And when I first noticed the signs, I went into
immediate denial. There was no way it could be true.
But the evidence is irrefutable.
Without realizing it, I’ve put God in a box, encasing him in
simplistic equations. And I’m betting a lot of you may have as well.
Let me see if you’re familiar with the logical God equation
I’m referring to:
Following the Rules + Making the Right Decisions = Living a
Blessed Life
AND
Sinning + Bad Decisions = Living a Troubled Life
On the surface these two equations look pretty good. But
begin to dig deeper and you realize that rather than finding God’s truth, I’ve
become tangled in a lie.
I’ve traded the Truth of God for fairness and tried to call it justice.
God is so much more than fair. His love destroys such a
simplistic concept and replaces it with grace.
Along with that comes things I
can’t understand—good people who suffer and bad people granted eternal life. At
times this world looks like it rewards those who cheat and punishes the one
that do the right thing.
But I've discovered I don't have to understand to trust Him.
You may wonder at where I find the evidence for hope. I find
it all around me. I’ve seen it played out in my life and the lives of those
around me. Beyond that I see examples of it on almost every page of the Bible.
Have you traded the truth of God for fairness and tried to call it justice? (Click to Tweet)
I hadn't even realized I'd been using that lousy spiritual formula, Edie. Thanks for highlighting it for me. Now I can spot the faulty math a bit more quickly.
ReplyDeleteWow, I didn't realize it either and, although I did very well in College Algebra, I still don't care for it. My professor would be so proud that I'm using Algebraic equations for the rest of my life. God, on the other hand...
ReplyDeleteNo math in Heaven. I could DEFINITELY get used to that!
Wow, Edie. Yes, I have fallen for some of those faulty equations too. One of the ones I struggle with is: "Living a good life ≠no pain" I'm learning not to fear or shy away from the painful seasons of life, because it's opposite is true: When painful seasons come=opportunities to grow closer to God.
ReplyDeleteThanks for getting me thinking about this, Edie.
I love this post, Edie. After hearing last Sunday's sermon about equations, I'm writing one on the same topic. Math must be in the air.
ReplyDeleteIf it's okay, I'd like to link to this post when I post mine.
ReplyDeleteKim, thank you! You're always welcome to link to anything I post. Blessings, E
DeleteThanks, Edie.
Delete