Some people want everything laid out in simple fashion. If you want to live for God, all you have to do is this or that, and everything we be fine. It’s simple, really.At a certain level, of course, this mentality is a helpful thing, for most of us yearn for stability, and this is often equates with objective standards of one sort or another. For instance we know that stealing and lying are wrong and that benevolence and truth telling are right. Without these parameters we would find ourselves in a sad state of affairs, floating about in a universe with no fixed points. It is good, therefore, that at least some portion of our lives can be lived with confidence that there is something objective on which we can pin our hopes. By means of special and natural revelation, we can know certain things.
Other things, however, are not so clearly delineated, and being a believer cannot (or at least should not) be reduced to a lists of do’s and don’ts. Think about this for a moment. We are called, for instance, to pray, to love, to be holy, to follow Jesus, and to demonstrate faith. Each of these is objective in the sense that there is a clear distinction to be made between, say, faith and unbelief or between holiness and unholiness. But, we must also acknowledge that these same responsibilities are subjective. So, for instance, we are not told how long to pray, for whom, or when. Likewise, holiness is non-negotiable trait, but there is no precise explanation of how this holiness ought to manifest itself in our lives. Are we allowed to attend this or that movie? Is a certain type of clothing proper or not? Are tattoos optional or forbidden? The fact that equally sincere Christians often disagree about these matters should tell us that at least some things are less than clear.
The bottom line is that we are not provided a rigid system of requirements for living the Christian life. And so, it appears that we are left in this world without a detailed agenda for how to make each and every decision and the manner in which God’s Word impacts our lives. The assumptions of legalistic types notwithstanding, life is not that easy. There is no “how to” book for each and every facet of daily living. Life, in other words, is somewhat undefined and subjective.
If this is true, if some things are not automatically discernable, one wonders why God chose to do things this way. While He might have given us instructions for every imaginable decision, from prayer time tables to how to tie our shoe laces (okay, that’s a bit of a stretch), instead He created a world without an exact blueprint? Why?
First, as already mentioned, there is a broad framework for living by faith. It is important to remind ourselves that framework is provided for us in Scripture. Furthermore, the people of God (i.e., the church) has–many blunders admitted, helped provide illumination for and application of Scripture. Believers in every era have grappled with various issues, trusting in the reliability of Scripture. While we might not be able to identify the precise manner in which godliness manifests in our lives (at least not to the satisfaction of all Christians), we can agree that there is such a thing as godliness, and we ought to pursue it. This broad framework keeps us from wandering aimlessly through the world with no sense of direction, and it protects us from relativism, the belief that everything is “up for grabs.”
Second, it is also important to grapple with the reality that God calls us not primarily to a rule book mentality but to Himself. If we were given details for making every choice, deciding moral dilemma, or eliminating all controversy, we might “get it right,” but we would also likely forget about the rule Maker, thinking we could get along just fine with a set of regulations. But God does not simply want people who “follow the rules.” He wants a relationship, which, I think, may be part of the reason why He created the world as He has.
This leads us, perhaps, to a greater awareness of why it is imperative for us to wrestle with so many decisions and moral issues that impact the way we give expression to our faith today. God wants us, I believe, to recognize that we consistently need Him. Jesus said it best when He uttered these words: “Apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). His point is that if we want to really live life successfully, we must do so in relation to Him. We walk by faith, leaning on Him, often wondering if we’ve done it right or best, and ever mindful that it is often the process, the walk of faith, that transforms us and shapes us into what God truly desires.
In a life that is often subjective and less than completely certain, what do you do? You ask for wisdom, as James says (James 1:5), trusting that God will remain faithful to you and will–through whatever means He deems fit–provide the wisdom He promised. This way of living, I would submit, builds maturity. After all, good parenting is not about establishing a moment by moment agenda for your children but of instilling in them the basic values by which they can live successfully without your holding their hand. This is what God does for us, providing freedom and his assistance along the way. As a result, we are able to develop a lifestyle that is unfettered by the trappings of legalism, guided by the basic truths of God’s Word, and relationally connected to the One who says He will never leave us or forsake us (Matthew 28:20).
It’s true that a good amount of living is subjective, but it is also true that faith is enlivened by our connection to the ever present Lord. We are not left to live any old way. Rather, within the sphere of the truths we are given, we are called to prayerfully consider how best to apply what we know, and always relying on the One whom we must trust along the way. It’s somewhat subjective, but it’s never arbitrary. It’s somewhat subjective, but it is also personal. We walk by faith. We walk with Him. More importantly (and we can easily discern this in Scripture), He walks with us (Deuteronomy 31:6, 8; Joshua 1:5; Hebrews 13:5).
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