| this week our pastor at the Vineyard gave a sermon related to consumerism and how we as Christians get pulled into the consumerist mindset. specifically for me, it really shed a lot of light on how I relate to God sometimes. I had a hard time articulating it on Sunday... and then today I wrote it out on paper trying to make some more sense of it.... this is what I wrote. "A basic flaw in the way I approach the throne of God is that I size Him down to humanity. In an attempt to make God reachable and approachable (as if He weren't already... yet I, in my sin and self-doubt, don't see Him that way all the time), I try to make Him more human and less "God-like." The error here, aside for the borderline heresy of trying to size Him down, is that in "making Him human" I tend to begin treating Him and interacting with Him as if He is human. And by my nature, I begin to attempt to manipulate Him and take Him for granted (as we all do, on some level, in ALL of our human relationships). I know the benefits that a close relationship with God can yield, and so with those things in my mind and heart, I often approach Him and attempt to draw close to Him, merely to reap the rewards. Sometimes consciously I do this, but mostly I believe it is done subconsciously. Regardless, I desire closeness and relationship with Him out of motivations of self-improvement and self-promotion, rather than desiring to be near Him simply because of who HE IS. Instead of bowing at the throne of the One who created all and rules all, and worshipping Him as the God he is, I try to "get on His good side" just as a crook or con-artist might try for the attention of a person of power or wealth, simply to leech the benefits of such a relationship. " so thanks Tim for shedding some much needed light on this. you're words were an encouragement and a huge help.
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