Myth: God will never give you more than you can handle.
All of life is more than I can handle which is why I need a Saviour - every day of my life. This myth puts failure and despair squarely on the shoulders of the struggling person. We blithely toss this anchor to drowning people, thinking it will encourage them to keep paddling. We fill our churches, bookstores and airwaves with testimonies of triumphs but we never talk about those who never made it to the end of the tunnel, who lost their faith or their lives. Victories are public celebrations, failures are private shame.
The Apostle Paul had a thorn in his flesh, a messenger from Satan. Three times he prayed to God to remove it but God said no, He won't remove it, but Paul has His presence and His grace which is enough and that, somehow, makes everything okay. I suspect a lot of people have been called to discover what that means.
Myth: What does not kill you will make you stronger.
That which does not kill me will probably give me post traumatic stress disorder. Wounds have been cut into my soul which is why I need a healer. What facades do we force each other to wear after a storm has blown through our lives?
Jesus said, let the little children come to me, do not hinder them. A bruised reed he will not break and a smouldering flame he will not put out. Let's stop being adults for a while and just sit in the arms of our gentle Healer.
Myth: Christians have it harder than non-Christians.
Shit happens and I'd rather go through tough times holding His hand than to go through the same tough times on my own. I need a comforter.
"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." Jesus Christ.
Myth: It is God's will
Some Christians believe that everything that happens is God's will, and if God is not in control of one molecule in the universe, then He is not God. While I admire their high regard for God's sovereignty, I can't help wondering what they have done with free will.
When scientists studied the weather, they found the system so complex and chaotic, they posited that a butterfly fluttering its wings in New Mexico can cause a snow storm in New York. Everything that happens today is the result of free willed choices made by us and other spiritual beings. We have sinned and we've been sinned against. While God honours these choices by letting them play out in time and space, He works within them to bring the best possible out of each situation.
Myth: You have to fix yourself.
A friend of mine is very fond of saying that whenever she is exhorting us to sin less and be more Christlike. There is a whole slate of stuff we are suppose to be doing: confess, worship, pray, read, give and, most of all, - Stop Sinning.
But these are the images the bible gives me:
- abiding and remaining in Him like a branch on a vine
- drinking from Him and streams of water flowing from me
- laying myself down as a living sacrifice
It's all about being and not doing. Somehow we got the idea that we're suppose to fix ourselves when we've sinned so that we can restore our relationship with God. Some even feel too ashamed to pray or come to God when their lives are a mess.
I believe we have to come to Him in the midst of our failure and simply surrender to His grace. It is He who works in us to will and act according to His good purpose. We are not our saviour. We are not even co-saviours with Christ. We just have to trust He can save us in the midst of our broken lives.
HI! Stopped by to see what you're thinking about. I have to say a big AMEN.
Another one that gets thrown in my face is "You can be sure that you're serving where God wants you if you really hate it; because God makes sure you have to depend on Him and can't possibly take any glory for yourself."
Where do people get these ideas? Why would God waste all that effort to endow me with talents and a love of one kind of work/service and direct me to do something I have no heart or skills to carry out?
Posted by: Deb | April 17, 2005 at 02:31 PM