We live in a world consumed by our rights. We have groups that have fought for their rights because they needed to. We have groups that think they are entitled to special rights, but are not. We have movements, seminars, discussions, arguments, legislation, protests and all manner of things, all about rights. Why?
Because we are a people that love self-determination. We want what we believe should be ours.
That concept also bleeds into our character. We believe that we have the right to be and do whatever we want to do. And to an extent we are correct. God gives us the right of self-determination. We choose our character, He does not force it on us. The rub comes when we arrive at the point that we believe whatever character we choose should be approved and celebrated by God. Much like the rights we fight for, where we believe that everyone should agree that we are correct in pursuing these rights.
There are really two issues that we have to deal with when it comes to our character.
1) Who determines the standards for our character?
2) Who do we answer to for our character?
Our character is our choice, and we are accountable for how we act. As children, we were accountable to our parents, to teachers or coaches. As we got older, we became less accountable to parental authority and moved into the work world where we were accountable to managers and company executives. As children we are more intimidated by authority figures, there is more of a powerless feeling. As adults we bristle against authority figure, complain about our bosses, yell at our bosses and quit our jobs… wait, that does sound like a child doesn’t it?
If we get right down to it, we never really have liked people telling us what to do. We, either in rebellion or in maturity, want to have the right of self-determination. Further, we want what we believe to be our standard, accepted and approved by others. If we want to have an affair, who’s to say we are wrong. If we want to show prejudice and hate, nobody has the right to tell me I am wrong. If I believe that everyone should like a particular presidential candidate, then everyone who disagrees is stupid or isn’t thinking. So… we love self-determination.
Unfortunately, we take this a little too far when we project this onto God. If you have watched the news, you have seen the group from Kansas who carries signs that say “God hates fags”, and other groups who say that God “does not send anyone to hell”, and yet other groups who say that God is love and there is no such thing as sin. I always find it interesting when people try to speak for God, as if they have the authority to set God’s character.
God has spent ages revealing Himself, consistently and openly. His people have written it down, recorded His works, scribed His words. God is perfectly capable of revealing Himself… just like you and I do with people that we love and want to know us. God has the right of self-determination. If He has said that only people that believe in and receive Christ into their life can go to heaven, then that is what He has determined to be the standard to get into His heaven. If I were to walk up to you and demand the keys to your house, what would you say? (be nice…) Why would you refuse? Because it is your house and I have no inherent right to live there. Heaven is God’s, He has every right to determine who gets in and who doesn’t. We love to exert our right of self-determination, we just don’t like to give it to others… especially God.
Allowing God to express His character and His ways, is a matter of humility. I have to recognize God’s position, His power and His place… above me. I cannot “tell” God who He will accept or approve of… what sin He doesn’t care about or what isn’t sin at all…what I can act like. In fact, taking the position that I can “tell” God that having sex outside of marriage isn’t wrong because everyone is doing it… well think about it, “God, I’m going to have sex with this girl, and not apologize for it”. Wow. I’m sure that God has been put in His place. This is the height of…Arrogance? Selfishness?
The church and the Christian community has in large measure lost the value of humility. We don’t see it as a virtue, as a character trait that is desirable. We believe that real strength is in self-determination, well, only our own self-determination. We have fights in church because we value our right to determine our preferences of music or Bible version or temperature of the building… and everyone better agree with us. That is not strength, that is being in the flesh. If we want strength, spiritual strength, then we must be humble. We have to be willing to allow God, to be God. To recognize His right to determine His character.
“Lord, forgive us where we have overstepped our bounds, and not been humble. Help our hearts to want to know you for who you are, not who we say you are or want you to be. Help us to respect you for being Holy. You are wonderful in all your ways, although we do not fully understand all you are and everything you do… we love you. We don’t need to know it all to know that you are a great God, indeed Lord, increase our faith to trust you.”
