Sometimes I think people read about God doing things for His own glory and think God is a narcissist…… What is the point of an omnipotent, omniscient deity revealing His glory to His creation? We are His creation. Where does the created vessel get the audacity to question the creator’s motive? Isn’t that exactly what the devil did with Eve and Adam, causing them to question God’s motive and rationale for banning them from the tree of knowledge of good and evil? Satan sought to make them question God’s reason and make God look selfish and controlling. Satan, a created being, sought to “one-up” God in God’s own heaven through deception and distortion of God’s own word in order to usurp God’s authority. Satan continues to attempt to do the same thing in this earthly realm against anyone who professes faith in and adoration of God.
What is the purpose of God’s revelation of His own character and purpose? God tells us that His ways are not our ways and our thoughts are not His thoughts.
I remember a day when God brought to my awareness a simple little chart published by Rubye Payne on the “Hidden Rules” of groups of people with differing views of life. It gives generalized perspectives on the motives that drive behavior among socioeconomic groups. I was struggling to understand some of the attitudes and behaviors observed among the population of homeless persons I had begun serving as a case manager and counselor at the Homeless Day Resource Center. As I read this chart I began to see “behind the obvious” to the values, assumptions, and beliefs behind behaviors. It was then that I began to ask questions to learn from people what values, assumptions, and beliefs are behind their decision-making. I cannot simply assume that we have a shared understanding of life and ourselves in it. That exercise led eventually to me reflecting on and applying the same methodology to my desire to understand God’s revelation of Himself and conduct with His people. It is an exercise worth pursuing…. in fact, it is made simpler by reading the many self-disclosures by God in His Word. This is exactly what we see in the book of Job …. as questions are asked of Job by his friends, of his friends and God by Job, and of Job by God. We see it further in God’s interaction with Abraham, Hagar, Isaac, Jacob, Leah, Eli, Samuel, Elijah, David, Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, between Christ and His disciples, the Samaritan woman, the centurian, lepers, the woman of Tyre, and more.
God tells us not to lean on our own understanding, but to trust Him. He also says to us to “come, let us reason together” with Him. The only way one can begin to approach an intellectual engagement with God leading to understanding is by setting aside one’s own perspective and seeking the mind of Christ. Such an endeavor begins with seeking the heart and posture of Christ before God and others…… in love, obedience and service to God, not approaching God as an adversary or as a prosecutor….. that IS the spirit of anti-Christ, the accuser of Christ and the saints.
There are moments when seeking the mind of Christ brings understanding of connections not previously seen, of reasons not previously understood, and of purposes not previously known…… May the mind of Christ bring us together in unity with him which alone can bring us into unity with one another. “Come, let us reason together, says the Lord ….” (Isaiah 1:18)