depression
God if you are real?
09/December/2009 10:49 Filed in: Weekly
Column
“God if you are real? ? ?”
This is probably the most common question formulated by people in all sorts of difficult situations, from all sorts of backgrounds, from almost everywhere on earth.
Many times this inquiry is veiled in the bait and switch concept of if – then. Such as the famous, “God if you save me from this storm then I will go into the monastery and become a monk.” Without such a God induced provocation Martin Luther may have ended up as a lawyer, or even a simple coal miner.
Many times the situation appears so difficult that the “and then” is not required. This is probably a wiser course of action, at least from the theological point of view. It does seem more than vain however, if you are about to meet your Maker to try to set up a paradigm in which your bargaining with God will somehow stop the storm.
It is also very interesting that in true survival situations, all the survivors of the situation share one common attribute, regardless of social position, wealth, religion, or other criteria. That common hallmark of all survivors is that they prayed.
This week and until the new year we will focus upon what is many times called testimonies of God’s provision in times of need and how those difficult situations help us to grow beyond the self-centered consumer that our society seems to demand. As pointed out in the Chronicle post on Friday, even though we are told that economic recovery is just rising over the horizon there are a lot of people now facing real life circumstances that were future nightmares just a year ago. In many of these now real situations your world security has crumbled around you, your friends treat you like you are an incurable disease, and creditor sharks think they smell blood in the water, your blood.
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This is probably the most common question formulated by people in all sorts of difficult situations, from all sorts of backgrounds, from almost everywhere on earth.
Many times this inquiry is veiled in the bait and switch concept of if – then. Such as the famous, “God if you save me from this storm then I will go into the monastery and become a monk.” Without such a God induced provocation Martin Luther may have ended up as a lawyer, or even a simple coal miner.
Many times the situation appears so difficult that the “and then” is not required. This is probably a wiser course of action, at least from the theological point of view. It does seem more than vain however, if you are about to meet your Maker to try to set up a paradigm in which your bargaining with God will somehow stop the storm.
It is also very interesting that in true survival situations, all the survivors of the situation share one common attribute, regardless of social position, wealth, religion, or other criteria. That common hallmark of all survivors is that they prayed.
This week and until the new year we will focus upon what is many times called testimonies of God’s provision in times of need and how those difficult situations help us to grow beyond the self-centered consumer that our society seems to demand. As pointed out in the Chronicle post on Friday, even though we are told that economic recovery is just rising over the horizon there are a lot of people now facing real life circumstances that were future nightmares just a year ago. In many of these now real situations your world security has crumbled around you, your friends treat you like you are an incurable disease, and creditor sharks think they smell blood in the water, your blood.
Read More...