Don't Call It A Blessing

Just because it's a coincidence, doesn't mean it's God

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I was watching a comedian on Netflix who had an excellent point about how people will call convenient situations "blessings." While I do believe "All things (do indeed) work together for the good of those who love the Lord" (Romans 8:28), I also know not everything that is "good" is "God." Actually, I almost named this post, "Everything that Glitters isn't God."

But it's true.

We have to break the habit of being too lazy and/or stubborn to ask God if what we see, want, and have is actually Him. The devil knows what you want, too. As a matter of fact, let's recall that Satan (not trying to get too dark so soon - but let's be real), he came from Heaven. He knows what miracles look like, and historically speaking - he's made quite the living deceiving mankind. That being said, let's talk about some common, "Look at God" situations, that are possible not really Him.

We Met In Church

Yeah.... I've fallen victim to this deceit, too. I mean... it is church. What better place than to meet people God means to have in your life, right? Nah, buddy. Don't get this confused, church (as far as the building where people congregate) is concerns is a place where individuals come for community, as we separately seek for our needs to be met by God. But may I submit something for your consideration? Do you hangout with people in the emergency room, looking for healing? Probably not. Most people in a hospital are sick. Just because you high-fived the person to your right, does not mean you need to have instant life contact. Honestly, each person (including myself) is searching for peace. Most of us are not in a place where we can be that peace to another person. To the contrary, if we aren't careful, we will spread the very thing we are praying God to take away.

The Book of Luke has a great depiction of a man who was troubled by demons, until Jesus rid him of them. And guess where the man was faithfully, up to the day Jesus freed him? Church. In Luke 4:31-36, Jesus taught in a synagogue where the man - where some biblical scholars believe - had attended regularly. I listened to Pastor #StevenFurtick preach a message about this, and something he said struck me. If that man was in church, the demons were not intimidated by the building of worship. They did not escape the man until he met with Jesus. This poses an interesting perspective. How do we know who is freed and who is not? We don't. This is not to say "Don't join a belong group.. Those people are crazy." Not at all. We know "where two or three are togethered" in God's name, He is with them.

It takes a great deal of discernment to know who we should "do life" with. Relationships, whether platonic or romantic, require God to be in the midst. We have to make sure God is with us before we continue building levels with people. Waiting on God to reveal that requires patience and continuous pursuit of affirmation. We cannot simply rely on meeting an individual "in church" as them being a safe additive to our lives. Luke shows us that demons are comfortable within the walls of a church. It is where there is a true presence of God that they tremble in His name. Not every person we meet, and claims to "know God" actually has a relationship with Him. Your pastor may have told you to "high-five your neighbor," but Proverbs also told you "the righteous should choose their friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray." (12:26).

It Felt Right or maybe It Didn't Make Me Nervous

I'm not exactly sure where we, as Believers/Christians, started feeling entitled to an easy walk. I saw a meme the other day. It said, "When it is sent by God it comes with confirmation. But when it isn't sent by God it will come with hesitation, frustration, and confusion." Which basically read as though, if it doesn't "feel right" it can't be God.

Seriously? It's 2020, and we still feel like things from God come without problems?!

Abraham... Frustrated.

Noah... Confused.

Moses... Hesitant.

If we truly feel like confirmation from God is the "First Step" or "Sole Identifier" that whatever is in front of us is "from God" we're in trouble. Let's take it to the top of the list, "Jesus wept!" Our Lord and Savior, God as flesh, was so "anguished" while praying His "sweat was like blood." (Luke 22:44). Mind you, this was after Christ asked God if "this cup could be removed." Basically, double-checking... "Are you sure, God? I gotta do all of this?" An angel came after and "strengthened" Jesus. Even after being strengthened, Jesus was anguished... afflicted... tormented... troubled.

The "confirmation" for why Jesus was dying for our sins did not come until after He rose again. And, let's not forget, He was GOD. He knew the plan. He knew the Resurrection. He knew.. but he was troubled. If God as man, having the plan, still had reservations.... Do we really think we are exempt? Who are we that we would feel entitled to skip the process even Christ had to go through?

I've yet to read a single story in the Bible where something from God came without being accompanied by some sort of reservation from the man/woman being petitioned.

I Got It For Nothing

Really? So, we really think we will receive something from God without any type of sacrifice or return to Him? Let me break it to you, for anyone who may still be in their earlier steps of the faith journey. If God didn't require you to give something before you received your blessing, there will come a time that you will have to give something back later. Nothing we have is ours. So should an opportunity present itself, as if there are "no strings attached," it isn't God.

David would not have become king had he not had to slay Goliath. Moses was not just given the Jews, he went through ten series of "no." Then he had to cross the wilderness to get to the Promise Land. Even the first man, Adam, was given a garden wherein which there was a tree he was forbidden to eat from. God will not just "give" us anything without some sort of expectation set along with it. Even basic, daily lift activities are not ethically given to us for free. Our jobs do not pay us without working first. We aren't allowed to just walk out of a grocery store without paying for what's in our cart. Anyone who's ever gone to school knows you typically do not pass a test without putting for the effort to study. Nothing is free.

I spoke to a sorority sister of mine earlier, as I discussed writing this post. We had a great conversation about the devil. (Man.. that was weird to say...) All believers know he is a master manipulator. What I think we often forget is he learned the art of manipulation by applying what he learned from his time in Heaven. Satan has seen the glory of God and he has seen firsthand what a miracle looks like. With that knowledge, he is able to wrap temptation and deception in the appearance of a miracle. The thing is, nothing Satan gives us is "free" either. It comes with a cost of guilt, shame, and destruction. Being saved, I know my sins are covered by the blood of Jesus. When our Father looks down on me, even with all the things I've done wrong, He doesn't see them...because of Jesus. The same goes for you.

But we see ourselves. The sins that are forgiven and not held against us by God are still living and well in our memories. That ever-present ability to forever remember what we've done and what we are capable of doing, given the "right" (not righteous) opportunity is all the devil needs to keep his foot on our necks. We trade our opportunities to grow closer to God with something designed to keep us from Him. Is anything "free" really worth even a moment of separation?

It Came "On Time"

Anybody remember the song/spiritual, "He's an on-time God." It's stuck in my head right now, as I'm typing about it. "He's an on-time God.... Yes, He is." But..... is He? :)

We've painted this picture in our head of God being "on-time." But to be honest. He's not. He's historically fashionably-late... Just ask Lazarus. John 11 talks about this man, whom the Bible even shares the special connection he had with Jesus. Lazarus is described as "the one Jesus loves." When Jesus received the news, that Lazarus was sick, He didn't drop everything He was doing to be by his side. Jesus waited two extra days, before he even left to go to Lazarus. By the time He got to him, Lazarus was dead.

Our Father in the flesh. The Man who healed lepers, gave sight to the blind, who healed the lame in the moment they were in front of Him, waited until his friend - the one He loved - was dead until He even bothered to show up. Ask Martha and Mary (Lazarus' sisters) if "He's an on-time God." Not many people can say they got an attitude with God, but Martha waited at the gate for Jesus to show up, and she was audibly not impressed with His timing.

That's the thing. Jesus doesn't perform on our time. He doesn't move according to our expectation. He also does not respond with a lack of care or concern. To the contrary. But to understand and appreciate God's timing, we have to remember the role we play. In our lives, we may be the main character but the narrative is not really about us. We must remember we are the vessels, and He is the oil. We are the resource. He is the source. If Jesus waited to come to Lazarus, whom He loved (and did not have to die on a cross to prove it), how much more do we know about His love for us.

God shows up when the timing is right, for Him. He's an on-HIS-time God. Can we call it a miracle if it's predictable? Is it a truly a blessing if we see it coming? As the usual Christian does, we often (innocently, I'm sure) misinterpret the Bible; reading the scriptures as how we'd prefer them to apply to our lives. "He will give us the desires of our hearts." is only half of the scripture. Psalm 37:4-5 says (in its entirety) to "Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass."

If we aren't walking in His Will, why would we expect the fruit of a tree we have not watered? We brag all the time about our "good, good Father." Then complain when we isn't a good good.... servant. Somehow, we've turned God into a waiter, a butler, a sweet old grandpa. Did we misplace our relationship to Jesus? Read the Bible carefully. Did Jesus ever "son" you? If we are "children of God" and He is the son of God, then He is our "brother." We aren't a "skipped generation" from God. My mother lets my daughter get away with her occassional misbehavior because she isn't her daughter, nor her direct responsibility. As our Father, not our grandFather, God has direct concern and care for us as His own children.

Everything that Glitters isn't God

Yeah... You saw that liner coming, huh?

We have to stop being so quick to call something a "blessing" or a "miracle." This can be difficult to discern, but the closer we get to God, the easier it is to filter. We serve a God who has a reputation of making a grand entrance. Who else waits three days to resurrect? :)

We can't continue to stay in the mindset of "if it's hard, it's not God."

Man.. that plan I came up with for how my life should work out according to my exact blueprint didn't work... Must not be meant to be.

I wonder how many doors we walked away from, with beautiful blessings on the other side of it, because we experienced pain on the way there - and gave up. How many relationships did we walk away from because they were "hard"? God does not delight in making you wait. He does not smile in the face of your tears. We can't walk in the falsehood of an "easy, Christian life." Imagine the affect Believers have on those who have not yet come into the Church; if we walk around like God is an on-demand, you-can-have-it-your-way, "yessuh, right-way, suh" being. People are watching us, walk around disappointed in a God we created in our minds, instead of walking in faith with the God who gave us a very detailed expression of how He operates. We don't serve a Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde Lord. He is exactly who He said He is.

We (as Christians) do a disservice to ourselves living in a life of a god who isn't our God.

His timing is perfect. It is our expectations that are not.