So, needless to say I haven’t had much time to write over the holidays. I was determined not to have a repeat of last year therefore, I made sure to put everything in perspective. For example, I put up two trees instead of three but only put a handful of ornaments on one. Yep, a self-professed Christmas décor-a-holic managed to barely decorate at all. Secretly, it was wonderful! I am trying to get to the point where Christmas is smaller each year and God is bigger. For this year, it worked! Not to mention the stress level was much less than in years’ past. I can actually say “I enjoyed Christmas!” Praise the Lord for everyone involved!
It would normally be at this time that I would write about a New Year’s resolution. I think I remember last year writing about a marathon, memorizing the book of James and…the other escapes me. Well, I am here to report that 1) there was no marathon run in the McBride house this year and 2) I made it about half way into the second chapter of James before losing steam. My track record isn’t very good. We might be better off calling them New Years’ –goals-I-could-never-attain-in-a-million-years-but-it-sounds-good-on-paper! Sometimes I think it is best to just aim low so that we are always pleasantly surprised…and that, my friends, may be my New Year’s resolution!
After a good laugh, I want to quickly get down to business and approach two very difficult statements that are silently plaguing believers. Thoughts that are almost never discussed in Christian circles and would be considered close to blasphemy for most believers. A good portion of us would never admit that we are or ever have been disappointed with God. Furthermore, we would struggle to verbalize our concern that maybe God is not good. I believe that many of us have thought these things but would fall short in saying the words out loud. Indeed, it sounds really bad to say, “I am disappointed in God!” Sure, people who are self-proclaimed unbelievers freely express their dissatisfaction and anger towards a God that they do not serve. However, to admit such strong negative emotion within the walls of church makes people uncomfortable; maybe because we don’t know how to respond.
The truth is, as believers, the Holy Spirit testifies within us to the goodness of God. When we make statements like these it goes against what is in our hearts but there are still times in life when we question the goodness of God. How do you claim Jesus as Savior yet ardently feel that God may not really be good? We cannot separate being disappointed with God and questioning His goodness. The two are inextricably linked.
Recently, I was talking with a dear friend and we were very candid about times when we had been either angry or disappointed with God. Admittedly, it was very hard to verbalize that to her. “Yes, I have been disappointed with the way God worked in this particular situation” or “When this occurred I was so angry with the Lord and I thought how can God be good?” As we talked, I began to realize that there are many believers who feel this way but never talk about it for fear of being judged or thought heretics! I think it is fair to say that most of us can think of a time in our lives when we were disappointed with God, questioned His goodness or both. I would be willing to say that for most of us, it has been more than once. Maybe you feel that way right now…
For some of us it has to do with the death of a loved one. For others, it is an unmet expectation, betrayal by a spouse or trusted friend, financial difficulty or a wayward child. No matter what the circumstance, what we are really saying is “God, why have you chosen to work in this way? If you are good and you love me as a Father and nothing is impossible for you then why this?”
I want to clarify that I am not talking about consequences we are experiencing from disobedience. God is always merciful to His children in their sin! The cross is the greatest picture of that reality. However, we rarely get to decide what our consequences will be and how long they will last. For this study, I am focusing on a season of testing when, like Job or Peter, or in this case Joseph, we are sifted as wheat by the sovereign hand of God. There is a difference between a spanking and chastening. The bible says “the Lord chastens (some translations say disciplines) those He loves” (Hebrews 12:6). Sometimes in life there are GOOD lessons that are only learned the hard way.
In looking at the life of Joseph, we will come to understand the full weight of a life where there were often more questions than answers. This study will by no means be exhaustive but it might help to shed some light on our disappointments and the sovereignty of God. Then, I hope to be able to guide you onto higher ground. Sometimes, gaining an aerial view of life and a deeper understanding of the character of God exposes lies that we have believed. One thing is for sure ladies, God is not deterred or put off with our disappointment. He is a big God and He already knows, before you say a word, what you feel.
As we begin this study, take some time to think about times in your life when you have been angry or disappointed with the Lord. Journal about these experiences and your feelings surrounding those particular circumstances. Ask the Lord to show you how this may not have been accurate and to prepare your heart for this study.
No comments:
Post a Comment