I am wondering this morning what it must be like to be God. When you love everyone equally as much whether they are the "salt of the earth" or absolutely rotten, how does that work? When those that are so unlovable often react better than those who profess "their love for everyone," which do you appreciate more? When some folk perform legalistically every small word of a command and others totally ignore the most obvious, with whom are you the most disturbed? Sometimes it must be tough to be God!
After considering the above for a brief few moments, reality surfaced! I "know" what it is like to be God! That's right, I do not have to wonder because I already know! Let me explain...
I grew up hearing folk say that God came to earth in the "form" of Jesus (seemingly ignoring the fact that Jesus IS God!) to discover what it was like to be human. Now, as a child I was satisfied to accept that premise, but the older I got the more I realized that someone had missed a very, very important point. For God to be God, He had to know everything, right? Therefore, He had to know what it was like to be human without having to "come to this earth," right? Oops, the former premise has serious faults!
The fact is that Jesus did not come to earth to find out what it was like to be human, but he came to show us what it was like to be God! Does that not make more sense? I would never have known what it was like to be God without Jesus' demonstration of "God-likeness!" Someone noted, "Jesus put skin on God!"
This demonstration of being godly was highlighted by Jesus' service to others! Even though many equate being "God-like" with barking out orders for others to perform, it really is being on bended knee cleaning up the messes made by others! The custodian cleaning up some human filth is more like God than the one standing tall and telling others what he wants them to do.
So, as I wrote earlier, I "know" what it is like to be God...it is ministering to others!
Monday, March 23, 2009
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
"Don't Blame The Ostrich!"
I find adages to be fascinating and enjoy discovering the origins of such. I was wondering a little while ago about the familiar, "Burying your head in the sand." We have all heard this adage and have probably used it to describe someone that deliberately refuses to see the facts in some situation. Often when a person denies that a certain problem exists, someone will chime, "He is just burying his head in the sand!"
The origin of this statement is attributed to the habit of ostriches burying their heads in the sand when an enemy approaches. It is said that they bury their heads because they believe if they cannot see the possible attacker then the attacker cannot see them! Now, that sounds like the practice of a very stupid animal which is the charge leveled against ostriches. It is claimed by some that the brain of an ostrich (and, for the record, all types of birds) is so small they cannot help be mentally challenged. The fact is the exact opposite is true! The brains of aviaries are much larger than other animals' brains when contrasted to the body size of each.
So, why are ostriches given the "credit" for being the source for this adage? It is highly possible that this criticism is attached to them because of their habit of lying on the ground to make themselves inconspicuous to an approaching threat. They do not bury their heads in sand nor in bushes as some suggest! It might come from the way they lower their heads to eat, but when you are shaped like an ostrich you have few other means of eating, right?
My point in today's blog is that many folk, unlike the ostrich, do deny the truth my deliberately concealing it from themselves. It is the old, "ignorance is bliss," mentality! If I don't know what is true then I am not responsible to it! We all know that this is not true! Just because we do not understand the "law of gravity" does not make us immune to its effects, right? Not knowing the speed limit is not an acceptable excuse when approached by a highway officer!
Why do we seem to think that this principle works in other ways? Probably so we do not have to accept the blame for failed efforts. It is this denying of facts that causes marriages to fail, economies to flounder, and countries to be overcome! Not knowing the facts will never excuse poor judgment nor failed attempts!
The same principle applies to our relationship to God's will! Ignorance is no excuse! Since God has revealed His will for us through the Bible, we have no excuse for not knowing what His will is, right? We should make every effort to discover His will for us and, also, make ever effort to share His will with others! Jesus said that it would his word that will judge us in the last day, so there you have it! Ignorance is not bliss!
My friend, keep your head out of the sand so you can see approaching dangers, imperfect examples, and hazardous highways! By doing so, you will be able to see the blessings that come from a life dedicated to God!
The origin of this statement is attributed to the habit of ostriches burying their heads in the sand when an enemy approaches. It is said that they bury their heads because they believe if they cannot see the possible attacker then the attacker cannot see them! Now, that sounds like the practice of a very stupid animal which is the charge leveled against ostriches. It is claimed by some that the brain of an ostrich (and, for the record, all types of birds) is so small they cannot help be mentally challenged. The fact is the exact opposite is true! The brains of aviaries are much larger than other animals' brains when contrasted to the body size of each.
So, why are ostriches given the "credit" for being the source for this adage? It is highly possible that this criticism is attached to them because of their habit of lying on the ground to make themselves inconspicuous to an approaching threat. They do not bury their heads in sand nor in bushes as some suggest! It might come from the way they lower their heads to eat, but when you are shaped like an ostrich you have few other means of eating, right?
My point in today's blog is that many folk, unlike the ostrich, do deny the truth my deliberately concealing it from themselves. It is the old, "ignorance is bliss," mentality! If I don't know what is true then I am not responsible to it! We all know that this is not true! Just because we do not understand the "law of gravity" does not make us immune to its effects, right? Not knowing the speed limit is not an acceptable excuse when approached by a highway officer!
Why do we seem to think that this principle works in other ways? Probably so we do not have to accept the blame for failed efforts. It is this denying of facts that causes marriages to fail, economies to flounder, and countries to be overcome! Not knowing the facts will never excuse poor judgment nor failed attempts!
The same principle applies to our relationship to God's will! Ignorance is no excuse! Since God has revealed His will for us through the Bible, we have no excuse for not knowing what His will is, right? We should make every effort to discover His will for us and, also, make ever effort to share His will with others! Jesus said that it would his word that will judge us in the last day, so there you have it! Ignorance is not bliss!
My friend, keep your head out of the sand so you can see approaching dangers, imperfect examples, and hazardous highways! By doing so, you will be able to see the blessings that come from a life dedicated to God!
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