14So, my very dear friends, when you see people reducing God to something they can use or control, get out of their company as fast as you can. (The Message)
I really don't like things that I can't understand. As long as I can remember I've been reading everything that I could get my hands on in an attempt to know how and why things work the way they do. It really didn't matter if it was the side of a cereal box or a Popular Mechanics magazine article on how airplanes fly I would read it. That desire to know and understand is something that is fairly common I would think. I might have taken it to more of an extreme than others do but still we all have a desire to understand and make sense of the world around us. It is no different with the way we try to understand God.
The problem arises when we begin to think that we have God figured out. Paul's warning should be something that we take to heart. All around us we have messages from people that suggest this or that is what God likes/believes/rewards/etc. We are told that if you pray in a particular manor or believe in the right way that you will be "right" with God. Yet God refuses to be kept in a box. God always seems to be a God of surprises and most of us don't like that. When we think we have God figured out all of a sudden God pops up in a new way or in a place that we don't expect. It would be much easier if we could truly know God and be able to use or control God in the ways that we expect God to work. But a God that we can control is no longer a God of infinite love and creative potential but rather a genie who moves at our command and wishes.
Some thoughts to ponder and share with others:
- How might the Corinthians have seen God trying to be controlled?
- Would you rather know how something works or just let it work because it does work?
- In what ways might you have tried to keep God in a box and under control?
- Where have you seen God show up and surprise you most recently?
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