Derailing Relationships (#648)
Being right with each other is far more important to God than being right about an issue. Misunderstanding is the enemy of relationship, both in how we relate to God and how we relate to each other. Here's where a lot of humility can go a long ways in helping us move beyond a misunderstanding to embrace each other. None of us have a complete perspective about anything. Brad and Wayne in this remote podcast explore the world of relationships and how they can so easily be derailed. They talk about how religious people often try to force their views on others and why it never works. They also talk about why thinking that God's sovereignty means he "allows" hurtful situations in our lives for some higher purpose, will cause us to see him as an abusive presence in the universe and destroy our growing trust and affection for him.
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“We don’t live in that universe!”
Boy, it takes many miles on this journey to get to that conclusion. I finally got to that conclusion, but I still feel very alone being in that place where I understand that I don’t live in “that universe”.
Peace came to me in the aftermath of my nephew’s fatal accident when I concluded that the events of that night were a culmination of human choices. To go down the God road trying to come to grips with where He was and where He wasn’t… wasn’t a journey that would have ended well. My family wrestles daily trying to find out where God was that night… instead of coming to peace that God’s presence doesn’t change no matter what happens. . God isn’t defined by the changing winds and sometimes hurricanes and tsunamis of my circumstances.
Now nineteen months “A.D.” (as my sister calls it) , I still can’t give anyone answers to the question “Why me?” and “Why do bad things happen” that will ease their aching soul, unless they get to that place where peace is found and God is there… no matter what.
Thank you for today’s discussion. I get it. It is so much easier for me to now crawl into God’s lap and let him hold you in the midst of the hurricane, because I don’t hold him responsible for what happened… He didn’t cause it, he didn’t allow it… it just happened…
“You demanded your independence, and now you are angry with the One who loved you enough to give it to you.” Papa… The Shack.
Ruby from Calmar
Appreciate your comments Ruby. Thanks Wayne and Brad for the conversation many times about how we can walk with Him through the anger rather than simply walking away. Blressings, Sue
Oops… I reread that quote from my last comment in the Shack .. I thought it was Papa on the porch , but it was Sophia in the cave. I guess it is all from the same source… just wanted to fix my faux pas.
Ruby
Wayne and Brad,
With regard to the topic at the end of the podcast, what do you think of this quote:
“There are good things God will not do if you don’t ask. There are bad things God will not prevent if you do not ask.”
It sounds kind of creepy to me, and trying to put into a principle that which is a heavily nuanced reality. I believe prayer is an important way God wants us to learn how to work with him an that our prayers do matter! But, putting it into a succinct quote like this would lead to all kinds of condemnation and introspection that would draw people further away from Father. God has done good things for me I never asked for and protected me from things I didn’t even know were coming my way until later. So my prayer didn’t prevent it. But I know God has done things in answer to my prayers on both sides as well. That’s why this reality is far more nuanced than this quote can bear. By all means pray, but to a Father that knows your needs better than you do. Trust him when outcomes aren’t what you want, and bear difficulties with a grace that looks for how God will turn even what others intend for evil into something good in your own life. He’s the master of working triumph out of tragedy.