Growing with God

I think maybe our relationship with God goes through stages, much like life.

As children, God teaches us complete dependence on Him, that we may learn to fear and trust Him always.

As we grow older, we gain responsibilities and freedoms. The rules that we once followed blindly, we learn have purpose behind them.

Follow this track onward, you might think God is leading us to a place of independence. Indeed, that's how our culture portrays the stages of life. But, God designed something different. He leads us to a sort of interdependence. A partnership. A marriage. And this is far more beautiful than anything that man could contrive.

God in a Box

As humans, we are experts at labeling, categorizing, and boxing everything--including God. In effect, we limit God. How do we do this?

Box #1 -- Moralism

According to this box, God is the definition of good behavior. He came to turn us into good people. All we have to do is learn right from wrong, good from bad and do what is right and good and religious. Everything is black and white. Every decision is made by asking "What is the Right decision?"

Box #2 -- Heaven's Ticket

Here we have the teaching that God is our ticket to heaven. We believe in Christ in order to merit the place of "eternal bliss" and avoid the eternal fire. What you do on this planet isn't that big of a deal, just hold onto that ticket. You'll need it when you die.

Box #3 -- Candy Man

Similar to box #2, this one tells us that God is our supplier. He is who we go to when we need or want something--our personal Santa Claus. Whether it be a pony, a new car, or whatever, all you have to do is believe and ask. God is here to fulfill your every desire.

Box #4 -- "God"

Something about the term "God" just seems so impersonal. He's up there in the sky...somewhere. He is the embodiment of holiness, the perfect being. Only our definition of perfection is an emotionless robot. This box says that God is a force or a law. No feeling, no personality, no free will--He is constrained by the laws of perfection (who wrote these laws?).

Box #5 -- The "Spirit"

Have you been filled with the spirit? Have you felt the emotional ecstasy of knowing God? Forget doctrine and obedience and all that dull stuff. Just get caught up in the spirit, cause that's what it is all about.

Box #6 -- Emotionalism

Close cousin of the “Spirit” box, this one often runs deceptively under the title “relationship” (as if relationships were all about emotional highs and how you feel). Basically, if you feel close to God then you are. If you don’t, you’re doing it wrong.

Box #7 -- Christology

Who is your Messiah? Christ. Who is your righteousness? Christ. What is the Bible all about? Christ. What about the Father? Christ is God. What about obedience? Christ fulfilled the law. What about family? Christ is my family. How are you going to pay your bills next week? Christ.

Box #8 -- Torahology

How do we learn right from wrong? Torah. How do we know what is pleasing to God? Torah. What is the Bible all about? Torah. What about God? He is in Torah. What about grace? Grace is no excuse for Torahlessness. Who is your Messiah? The Living Torah.

Box #9 -- Knowledge

The goal is to know God, right? So, the more we know about God and theology and doctrine, the more we know God, right? Maybe?

Box #10 -- Beauty

When I look around at the wonder and beauty of creation, all I can do is stand in awe. It is all so overwhelming—to the point becoming the very definition of the Creator. Even worship becomes an object to itself.

_____

All of these boxes give a glimpse at certain aspects of God. Each one has an element of truth to it. Just enough to be deceptive. But they are all boxes, limiting God. And all of them miss one of the most essential characteristics of God--His desire for a relationship with us. We throw that word around in church so often, do we really know what a relationship with God means?

Four simple words can tell you more about God than all of those boxes combined: Father, King, Husband, Creator. These words describe our relationship with God. And they are concrete--we can relate to them. We know what a father-son relationship is. We know what marriage is. We know the respect and honor due a King. We know how intimately a craftsman knows his creation.

Am I suggesting that God stops here? No. The fullness of God is beyond our comprehension. What I am suggesting is that we start here. Learn to approach God as Father and as King. Fall in love with Him. Our God is caring, imaginative, and passionate. Don't believe me? Read Job 38-41, Ezekiel 16:1-14, Hosea 2:14-23, Deuteronomy 4:24. He is beyond comprehension, but He comes to us in ways we can relate to. We are made in His image--we reflect who He is.

There are so many good things that God has for us and has to teach us. But we must never forget that He is the Living God who loves us--my Father and my King.

Puzzle Pieces

I've heard it said that each of us holds a piece to the puzzle. I believe that each of us *is* a piece to the puzzle. Torah is all about bringing those pieces together, about teaching us to look outside ourselves and create real connections with other human beings.

The adversary opposes this. He will tell you that you stand alone as the whole in yourself. Or that you are misshapen and unfit for the Creator's masterpiece. He will try to force you into holes that you do not fit to dishearten you. He will point out how different everyone else is and tell you that they must conform or that you must conform. He works with fear and pride--fear that you are mangled and do not belong; pride that you exist for yourself or as head of the puzzle. This is the lie.

Torah teaches us to Shema, to listen. To hear another for who they really are, to understand them. To walk in their shoes as Messiah walked in ours. To identify with their struggle, their pain, their joy, and their dreams. That means that sometimes we have to be still and listen. We have to stop talking like we know it all and admit that we can never completely understand the journey of another. We have to stop judging each other because we do not look alike, do not act alike, do not believe alike. The truth is that each one of us has a unique role in the story that our Creator is painting across the canvas of life--a role inseparable from the lives of others.

Torah is about relationship. The opposite of Torah is self-centeredness. Torah is about reaching out, courageously taking the hand of another and recognizing the signature of divine within that person. This is love.

Relationship

Can your Kingdom work get in the way of God? Can loving people take the place of loving God? Yeshua said "Love God" first and "Love your neighbor" second--but what if we get these reversed? Or can you say that you love God by loving people? I think to some extent this is true, but I don't think loving people can replace loving God.

What does it mean to pursue God with all your heart, soul, and strength? To put Him before your family, your friends, your good works, your dreams, your fears, your life purpose. We act like we are doing God a favor by asking what His purpose for our lives is. Is it not an act of grace to even have purpose? Does God owe us that much? We act like every commandment we keep is something we give to God, but is it not something God gives to us? To allow us to do what pleases Him?

If we are dust then what can we do to add or subtract from the Almighty's plan? Can we add one soul to the Kingdom by worrying if we are doing it right or whether we've found our life purpose? Is not every soul in His hands?

I often say we are the hands and feet of God, and I still believe that. We are the miracle workers, the called out ones, the healers of the nations. But the work is God's. And it is to Him and Him alone that we owe our devotion and love--not the world.

I heard a piece of advice to married couples once, to always put the marriage relationship before the children. Because the first thing the children need is a Father and Mother to look to. Would this not be true in our relationship with God as well? Do we not need to put that relationship with God before our work for God?

Is God enough? Or must you add purpose, good works, fulfillment, etc.? Think about it. If God said to step back from family, from ministry, from service, just to spend a little time with Him, could you do it? Or do our good works keep us so occupied that we've lost time for God?

Life is an adventure. God reaches out His hand and calls us to come with Him. His Kingdom is under His control. His plan is being executed perfectly. The people around you--they're in His hands. The only thing that matters between you and Him is your heart. Does it belong to Him? When emotions fade and works fall away, does your heart belong to God?

I don't know the answers to these questions, but they've caused me to pause and think. Am I pursuing God or a feeling? Am I pursuing God or good works? Am I pursuing God or a sense of fulfillment and purpose? I'm not saying these other things are bad. But is it possible that they can distract us from true relationship?