Thursday Thoughts (10/6/2016)

Well, I wrote out my thoughts this morning and they were filled with lament so I decided to start again. There is nothing wrong with lament. In fact, the Bible is really good at teaching us how to lament. One only needs to read the Psalms and you will find ways to lament. One thing that I appreciate about the Psalms is that we get to hear a human voice speak directly to God, even when what is said is not wholly accurate. For instance, telling God that he is the one who didn’t fulfill his promise, after the people did everything they committed to do.

Nevertheless, it is nice that we can tell God how we are feeling and know that he is willing to listen. However, we must also remember that he is going to speak. Job said a lot of things in his lamenting. But when God shows up Job realizes that what he said was, well, not quite right. So, for a little while today I will lament. I will tell God how I am feeling. More importantly though, I will ask him what he thinks about everything.

In the end what I think about things is not all that important. I want to know what he thinks, what he wants done, and what he thinks about what I think about his thoughts. (Ok, that lost you). The point is, I have people give me their thoughts all the time. If we did everything the way others wanted it, we would never do anything. Somebody is not going to like it and then you’re going to hear about it. Oh, people don’t want to be mean, they will give you their thoughts in not so clever backhanded ways.

At the end of the day their thoughts are like the common cold, they will never go away and you never want to be the one to receive them. But when we do end up on the receiving end of other people’s opinions and desires, it is important to ask God, “What do you think about that?” I am crazy enough to believe that he has a thought. I am sure I have been the plague of opinion on someone else. I am no different than any other person who likes things their way. Yet, I find that I really don’t want things my way. I want them his way.

When things are done my way, I am only worshiping myself. They reflect my tastes, desires, dreams, and personality. I sometimes wonder if there will ever be a time when our life and worship will reflect God’s image instead of our own image of God. I sometimes wonder if we have set up idols, and the image we worship is just a reflection of ourselves.

I fear we might want a god that always fits in our arena of comfort. A god that wants me to be happy and content, who condones or tolerates my bad behavior, a god who doesn’t put any burden on me to be fully and completely devoted to him, but is willing to let me live in two realms. O’ God of all creation, I don’t want that god. I want a God that not only commands me to be holy as you are holy, but actually empowers me to be so. In fact, I don’t want whatever concept of God I can image, I want whatever you have revealed yourself to be.

Father, save me from my thoughts about you, deliver me from the images I have created. Only that I would worship you for the reflection you have presented from your own hand. You are God, may your desires burn in my heart and mind so that your will would be done on earth as it is in heaven. I cannot know you but that you reveal what is to be known. Give me eyes that I might see, ears that I might hear, and a heart that would be full of your glory and grace to share with all creation. For in your presence my lament is turned to peace and your name becomes my strong tower. Amen.