Have you ever noticed how subjective life can be? It just seems that many things aren’t as “black and white” as we would prefer. Sometimes, depending on our background, we Christians have an especially difficult time with this concept. After all, aren’t we the ones who accept the Bible and believe in objective truth? Has not God spoken in absolute and universal terms?
Yes, it is true that God has revealed Himself in a variety of ways, and most clearly in His Word. But this does not eliminate the fact that life can be quite complex. Let’s face it. Some of the life-situations we encounter are not easily interpreted, and not all of the biblical truths we seek to embody are easily applied.
For example God tells us to marry only those who are believers, but nowhere do we read about the specific person He has in mind. God says we are to pray, but He doesn’t specify for how long or precisely when. Likewise, we are told to serve one another, but we are not provided the precise form this service ought to take. In other words, while God has provided His general will for us, specific instruction as to what this looks like in the real world, in our world, is lacking.
Some of the things I’ve mentioned fall within the realm of Christian liberty. That is, God allows us the freedom to decide for ourselves about a number of things. On the other hand, He surely desires that we take the broad principles He has supplied in His Word and implement them in concrete ways. It is at this point, of course, that the will of God becomes a bit difficult to decipher. What I would like to suggest, however, is that the slipperiness of this process, the subjective element of life, can actually be a good thing.
If God were to provide answers for all of the particulars of life, we would, in one sense, avoid a lot of hassles. Every time we had a tough decision to make, all we would have to do is look up the answer in the “rule book.” But, think about this for a moment; if God were to actually supply specific directions for every aspect of our existence, how much would we truly rely on Him? If we were to employ the “rule-book” model (and many Christians, thinking they have all of the rules down pat, already do!), wouldn’t we tend to neglect that which matters most? Undoubtedly, we would ignore the very God we claim to serve. Talk about killing a relationship!
Of course none of this is intended to lead us toward relativism, as if God has provided no universal standards. Neither is it an excuse for extreme mysticism, as if God normally communicates in some esoteric fashion. On the contrary, He has given us His Word so that we would better relate to Him and more clearly follow His ways. This is why it is never right to claim that God has told us anything that flies in the face of His revealed will in Scripture. The Bible must always remain the basis for all that we believe, say, and do.
Thus, it is no surprise to find out that Scripture supplies numerous injunctions on how to live (e.g., don’t commit adultery, tell the truth). Then again, a good portion of the Bible is more general than that. For instance we are to be holy, to love God and others, to discipline ourselves for the purpose of godliness, and to follow Jesus. None of these can be reduced to a list or a formula, which is why we are often unsure how to apply what God has said.
So, we lack the wisdom required to make major (or minor) decisions. We can’t seem to decide between better and best. Or, we’re a bit unclear on the exact manner in which some biblical truth should be worked out in our lives. But as frustrating as this can be, it does accomplish something rather amazing. It forces us to look outside of ourselves to the One we most need, God Himself!
I truly believe that the uncertainly we experience, the ignorance that so often characterizes us, the very subjectivity of life–these things are intended to drive us into the arms of our loving Lord. God does tell us, after all, that He will provide wisdom when we ask. Likewise, He promises to comfort and sustain us when we draw near to Him. Everywhere in the Bible, we are encouraged to cast our burdens on the Lord, to receive His strength, to taste of His goodness.
The bottom-line here is that we really don’t need to get worked up about the lack of “black and white” in our lives. When we can’t quite get a handle on our circumstances, when we find it difficult “fleshing out” the truth we already know, when we are puzzled about some decision we have to make, the best thing we can do is simply rest in God. He’s waiting for us and ready to guide. In fact each day we are being drawn into a deeper and more meaningful relationship with our personal Lord. Why, then, don’t we look to Him more? You’ll have to answer that one for yourself.
Yes, it is true that God has revealed Himself in a variety of ways, and most clearly in His Word. But this does not eliminate the fact that life can be quite complex. Let’s face it. Some of the life-situations we encounter are not easily interpreted, and not all of the biblical truths we seek to embody are easily applied.
For example God tells us to marry only those who are believers, but nowhere do we read about the specific person He has in mind. God says we are to pray, but He doesn’t specify for how long or precisely when. Likewise, we are told to serve one another, but we are not provided the precise form this service ought to take. In other words, while God has provided His general will for us, specific instruction as to what this looks like in the real world, in our world, is lacking.
Some of the things I’ve mentioned fall within the realm of Christian liberty. That is, God allows us the freedom to decide for ourselves about a number of things. On the other hand, He surely desires that we take the broad principles He has supplied in His Word and implement them in concrete ways. It is at this point, of course, that the will of God becomes a bit difficult to decipher. What I would like to suggest, however, is that the slipperiness of this process, the subjective element of life, can actually be a good thing.
If God were to provide answers for all of the particulars of life, we would, in one sense, avoid a lot of hassles. Every time we had a tough decision to make, all we would have to do is look up the answer in the “rule book.” But, think about this for a moment; if God were to actually supply specific directions for every aspect of our existence, how much would we truly rely on Him? If we were to employ the “rule-book” model (and many Christians, thinking they have all of the rules down pat, already do!), wouldn’t we tend to neglect that which matters most? Undoubtedly, we would ignore the very God we claim to serve. Talk about killing a relationship!
Of course none of this is intended to lead us toward relativism, as if God has provided no universal standards. Neither is it an excuse for extreme mysticism, as if God normally communicates in some esoteric fashion. On the contrary, He has given us His Word so that we would better relate to Him and more clearly follow His ways. This is why it is never right to claim that God has told us anything that flies in the face of His revealed will in Scripture. The Bible must always remain the basis for all that we believe, say, and do.
Thus, it is no surprise to find out that Scripture supplies numerous injunctions on how to live (e.g., don’t commit adultery, tell the truth). Then again, a good portion of the Bible is more general than that. For instance we are to be holy, to love God and others, to discipline ourselves for the purpose of godliness, and to follow Jesus. None of these can be reduced to a list or a formula, which is why we are often unsure how to apply what God has said.
So, we lack the wisdom required to make major (or minor) decisions. We can’t seem to decide between better and best. Or, we’re a bit unclear on the exact manner in which some biblical truth should be worked out in our lives. But as frustrating as this can be, it does accomplish something rather amazing. It forces us to look outside of ourselves to the One we most need, God Himself!
I truly believe that the uncertainly we experience, the ignorance that so often characterizes us, the very subjectivity of life–these things are intended to drive us into the arms of our loving Lord. God does tell us, after all, that He will provide wisdom when we ask. Likewise, He promises to comfort and sustain us when we draw near to Him. Everywhere in the Bible, we are encouraged to cast our burdens on the Lord, to receive His strength, to taste of His goodness.
The bottom-line here is that we really don’t need to get worked up about the lack of “black and white” in our lives. When we can’t quite get a handle on our circumstances, when we find it difficult “fleshing out” the truth we already know, when we are puzzled about some decision we have to make, the best thing we can do is simply rest in God. He’s waiting for us and ready to guide. In fact each day we are being drawn into a deeper and more meaningful relationship with our personal Lord. Why, then, don’t we look to Him more? You’ll have to answer that one for yourself.
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