Why

On March 16^th, my son was driving a 2011 Civic and was broadsided by an Infinti traveling 60mph.  The driver’s door and my son took the full impact of the collision.  His car then crossed three lanes of oncoming traffic and hit a concrete wall head on.  By all accounts, the impact should have broken his neck and caused his death.  When we found him alive with only minor injuries there was great joy.  Our family praised our God on high for sparing his life.  Nevertheless, the question remains…why did Mark survive when so many die in similar accidents?

The answers to life’s questions must come from the Author of life.  If my car vibrates, the machine at Firestone aligns my wheels.  If the pictures on my walls are crooked, the laser level reveals the problem.  If I want to put a fence on the property line, a surveyor will measure the boundaries.  In the same way, scripture is a plumb line that separates truth from fiction.  All my thinking must line up with scripture or else it is at risk of being incorrect, mixed up and askew.

Answers to life are incomplete if we do not know God. We look to scripture to learn about God because God has chosen to reveal aspects of Himself to us through the Bible and the person of Jesus Christ, His Son. We cannot take one characteristic of God and isolate it or elevate it apart from the rest.  People like to focus on God’s love and grace without calculating His holiness or justice.  We must keep in mind that there is harmony in the way scripture reveals the nature of God.  We must consider the entirety of His Being and not simply focus on a few of His perfections.  I am not a Bible scholar; I’m only a Bible student.  I have not had any formal training; I only try to walk with Him daily.

It is interesting that people call Christianity a religion.  At its very heart that is not true.  Christianity is a relationship with the one, true God.  Religion says, “Man is bad, now work to make yourself approved by God.”  Christianity says, “God loves man so much that God came to man and has paid the penalty for your sin.” 

Religion says, “There are no guarantees.”  But Romans 10:9-10 is one of God’s guarantees.  It says, “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

So what does Scripture say about God?  He is in perfection:

·         Eternal and Immutable

·         Omnipresent, Omnipotent, & Omniscient

·         Sovereign and Holy

·         Righteous and Just

·         Good and Merciful

·         Love and Truth

And in all these things He is Wise.  Therefore, I can trust Him.  I can trust His love and His goodness even when things go wrong.  I can trust His sovereignty and justice even when I am wronged.  I can trust His grace and mercy even when I am wrong and need forgiveness.

When life is a mystery and everything around me seems in turmoil, when I do not understand how or why, I know I can trust in God because He knows the reasons why.  Habakkuk the prophet from the Old Testament penned these beautiful words in chapter 3, verses 17-18

Though the fig tree does not bud
    and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
    and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
    and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
    I will be joyful in God my Savior.

It is with great confidence that I place my trust in God.  Not because of what I’ve done or my circumstances but because of who He is.

He is. 

He just is.

Offended

For quite a number of years, there has been a major fracture in the relationship between a close family member and me.  In the midst of grief, we said many sad and hurtful things.  As a believer I failed to be like Christ on many levels.  And while I could justify my behavior in every way, the truth is I was wrong.

You see, it doesn't matter what was done to me.  My model is Christ.  He stood before his accusers and remained silent....not just to fulfill scripture but because it is what the Father asked him to do.  God's ways are higher than my ways.  (Isaiah 55:8)  He is asking me to trust him because he works all things together for good because I love him. (Romans 8:28)  God has made it clear to me that I am to stop reacting to the offense and start responding to my offender with love.

So the choice before me is to remain offended or I can work at reconciliation.  I can allow myself to grow bitter and angry or I can let the peace of Christ rule in my heart.   I can go around justifying myself or trust God with my reputation.

I will not be easily offended because I am not defined by anyone's opinion of me.  I am defined by who God says I am.  His word says in Ephesians 1: 3-7 that I am blessed, chosen, holy and loved, adopted as His, shed with grace and redeemed.  I can rest in The Lord because He is my Rock and my Salvation, whom shall I fear?  He is the Stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1) 

So, in light of that knowledge, how am I supposed to act?  I am to Love The Lord my God with all my heart and Love my neighbor as myself.  God's definition of love can be found in 1 Corinthians 13.

I don't think it is our job to restore relationships.  Only God can do that.  Our job is to love....by being patient and kind, by not being envious or boastful or proud, by not dishonoring others but seeking what is best for others, by not getting angry easily or keeping a record, by rejoicing in the truth not delighting in evil, and also to protect and trust others and to hope for and persevere with others.

I am to "act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God."  (Micah 6:8) Mercy is:  not giving my offender what they deserve.  Loving mercy, however, goes a step further by also giving the offender what they don't deserve: grace and forgiveness.  Walking humbly means not demanding my own way but rather giving up my right to be right.  These are my directives from on High.

As I'm typing this I realize that I am more prone to protecting myself than my offender.  What about you? What will you allow God to change in you?  Father God, I pray you will give me courage and strength to protect those who offend me.  Give me eyes to see them in the light of your love.  In Jesus' name, Amen!