Knowing All You’re Supposed To
I don’t know about you, but every now and then, I get hung up on something and struggle to get by it. Sometimes, it’s a theological question, like if God is all good where did evil come from? I spent three months in a funk brought on by that question.
When my wife’s sister died unexpectedly, we spent the summer in a ‘dark night of the soul.’ God was silent. Scripture seemed irrelevant. Prayer seemed to go no further than the ceiling.
Just recently, a dear friend came to a fork in the road and chickened out on choosing what Jesus would have them do. It broke my heart knowing they’d missed out on the freedom He wanted them to have. “Please increase their faith and give them the courage they need.” I prayed. No response. If God gives us faith, why didn’t He show up with a bucketful?
Sometimes, we want more of God, but it doesn’t seem God is ready to show us more. Apparently, this isn’t a new problem. Here’s what Catherine of Genoa wrote back in the 14th century . . .
“Therefore I will not weary myself with seeking beyond what God wants me to know. Instead I will abide in peace with the understanding God has given me, and I will let this occupy my mind. If we are to see properly, we must pluck out of our eyes our own presumption. If we gaze too long at the sun, we go blind; in this manner, I think, does pride blind many of us who want to know too much.”
If pride is the enemy of humility, it makes sense that pride may be driving our need to know. It is not natural for us to say, “I know all I need to know for now. I will ‘abide in peace with the understanding God has given me,’ and I will let that occupy my mind.’”
Life is a journey. We can’t know what’s ahead, but our best life is lived knowing God is with us. A life of faith lived in rhythm with God, not getting ahead nor behind.
Scripture: Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil! Your body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life!
Honor God with everything you own; give him the first and the best. Your barns will burst, your wine vats will brim over. But don’t, dear friend, resent God’s discipline; don’t sulk under his loving correction. It’s the child he loves that God corrects; a father’s delight is behind all this. (Proverbs 3:5-12, The Message)
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