Even cursory Bible study will reveal some simple, basic messages, including...
-God is all-powerful.
-We are not.
-God wants us to pray.
-When we pray, we should remember that God is God, and we are not, and should humbly worship Him, confess our sins, thank Him for what He has done, and then ask for help with our concerns.
-Prayer is about listening to God, and discerning His will, not trying to get Him to see things our way.
-Sometimes, God tells us "wait" or flat-out says "no!"
-Yes, God cares about us, but caring about us does not necessarily translate into giving us material wealth or perfect health in the here and now.
So many people, from certain "Christian" televangelists to some motivational professionals, try to repackage the same basic decidedly unmonotheistic notion that either we are God, or we are gods, or that God is our cosmic bellhop, or that we can use the same "force" that God uses to make "the universe" fulfill our desires.
Guess what? The real secret is that whomever can repackage this wishing-makes-it-so dung well enough and with the right timing can get suckers to make them rich by buying their media, attending their seminars, or just plain sending them money.
Realistic, balanced positive thinking can be great. But it isn't going to make gasoline magically appear in your tank. Wish all you want, but unless you put more gas there, you're going to run out. Optimism, initiative, and taking responsibility can certainly help, especially if it removes self-defeating thinking and behaviors. But that isn't magic. It is simply realizing that you can because you actually can instead of refusing to try because you've erroneously told yourself you can't. And yeah, more people tend to want to be around happy, upbeat people instead of someone who is always brooding or talking about what they want but don't have. You're more attractive smiling and laughing than scowling and screaming. That's not magic. If you tell yourself that you're going to get out of bed, and you visualize it, and then you do it, that’s not magic (provided you weren't immobile).
Do you have a lot of potential? Yes. Do you have unlimited potential? No. Can you solve all of your problems with the right attitude? No. Will you die of last sickness or injury, should the Lord not return before? Yes, no matter how much faith you have. But as long as you cling to God, you're ultimately going to be okay, because God is bigger than all of your problems, and those who are followers of Christ will be safe with Him, whether alive or "asleep", awaiting their resurrection.
-God is all-powerful.
-We are not.
-God wants us to pray.
-When we pray, we should remember that God is God, and we are not, and should humbly worship Him, confess our sins, thank Him for what He has done, and then ask for help with our concerns.
-Prayer is about listening to God, and discerning His will, not trying to get Him to see things our way.
-Sometimes, God tells us "wait" or flat-out says "no!"
-Yes, God cares about us, but caring about us does not necessarily translate into giving us material wealth or perfect health in the here and now.
So many people, from certain "Christian" televangelists to some motivational professionals, try to repackage the same basic decidedly unmonotheistic notion that either we are God, or we are gods, or that God is our cosmic bellhop, or that we can use the same "force" that God uses to make "the universe" fulfill our desires.
Guess what? The real secret is that whomever can repackage this wishing-makes-it-so dung well enough and with the right timing can get suckers to make them rich by buying their media, attending their seminars, or just plain sending them money.
Realistic, balanced positive thinking can be great. But it isn't going to make gasoline magically appear in your tank. Wish all you want, but unless you put more gas there, you're going to run out. Optimism, initiative, and taking responsibility can certainly help, especially if it removes self-defeating thinking and behaviors. But that isn't magic. It is simply realizing that you can because you actually can instead of refusing to try because you've erroneously told yourself you can't. And yeah, more people tend to want to be around happy, upbeat people instead of someone who is always brooding or talking about what they want but don't have. You're more attractive smiling and laughing than scowling and screaming. That's not magic. If you tell yourself that you're going to get out of bed, and you visualize it, and then you do it, that’s not magic (provided you weren't immobile).
Do you have a lot of potential? Yes. Do you have unlimited potential? No. Can you solve all of your problems with the right attitude? No. Will you die of last sickness or injury, should the Lord not return before? Yes, no matter how much faith you have. But as long as you cling to God, you're ultimately going to be okay, because God is bigger than all of your problems, and those who are followers of Christ will be safe with Him, whether alive or "asleep", awaiting their resurrection.
Great post! I like it put this way, too:
ReplyDelete"God the Father is not a 'candy machine god, accepting “
'obedience quarters;' when we don’t get what we want, do we 'curse' God? Which God do I believe in–the 'candy' machine god, or the one who loves me enough to allow me to learn wisdom through suffering [like Job]?
Love this post - great points.
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