I know I’m supposed to be writing something all light and Christmas-y, but this is why I’m a multi-niche, small-time blogger, rather than a popular blogger. I write whatever I want, whenever the mood strikes me, even if it’s not “in season”. I think this is also why I’m still blogging after eight years – there’s no pressure! Today the mood struck me to write about what I’ve realised over the years as three elemental truths about God – three truths I’ve grasped, stored in my heart, and which I pull out often to light my way.
The first is that you can’t out-give God. No matter how much you give for weekly contribution, special missions contribution, humanitarian efforts, to friends and family in need, or even for something as simple as a birthday gift, you can’t give more to others than God will give to you. In fact, in my experience, so often when we give a little nervously, not quite seeing our way past the amount, we almost immediately get an unexpected windfall, large or small. God is so generous.
I feel like I should qualify this because I do not subscribe to the “prosperity gospel” way of thinking where wealth is not only your due, but it’s also directly linked to your righteousness. The holier, the wealthier. No. Let me just say this: If your righteousness is not directly linked to Jesus’s death on the Cross, you are on a broad road leading to destruction, no matter how much or little material wealth you have. Also, there must be some leeway for human understanding in this because sometimes what I think I need in a material sense is not necessarily what God thinks I need. But the fact remains. God has allowed us to give generously over the years and although we’ve at times felt a little hard-pressed, we’ve never felt panicked. You can’t out-give God, I always say, particularly when I’m about to give nervously.
The second truth is that every life is precious. Even that vicious ole miser who’s already at the end of his life and is just hanging on by threads, and whose demise you know will be met everywhere with relief – that guy keeps hanging on because he’s precious to God. He gets every opportunity to change his ways, right until the last minute because his life matters. On the flip side, sometimes I think God keeps someone young and alive just because she’s so determined. She’s unstoppable, enthusiastic, passionate about making the world a better place. I can imagine God folding his hands in satisfaction and saying, “Well done, my child.” He lets her live on.
Yes, we all must die, and some earlier than others. Yet no one is forgotten when they come into the world, and not one is forgotten when they depart it. This comforts me when I’m afraid of death. God will not let me or a loved one die randomly. He will let each of us die at precisely the time he has chosen in advance because it is the best thing for us and everyone around us.
The third truth is that God is not a cruel master. This is the one I want to talk about today, and which I think about all the time. God is not a cruel master. He may be a disciplining God, but he’s not a punishing God. And in using these words, I’m thinking specifically of this scripture in Matthew 25:14-30, although the translation uses “hard man” rather than “cruel master”:
“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
“After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
“The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
“Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
“His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
“‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Each of the three got a different talent according to his ability, and so do we get talents in proportion with our ability. God didn’t expect the person with two talents to earn five more the same way the person with five talents did. He just expected him to earn something. So the third person who buried his in the ground … what was going through his head?
Thoughts have crossed my mind, like, well at least the money is safe and he gave it back. At least he didn’t lose it or steal it. I think what bothered the master in this case was the guy’s perception of him. True, the man who got one talent was lazy, and in a sense did steal because he didn’t even let it earn interest. But his real fault was thinking that no matter what he did, it was never going to be good enough for the master. He knew his master was a “hard man” and he was just sitting there, paralysed, waiting for him to strike.
We’ve started praying with our children each night in a more deliberate way. One night I’ll pray with my daughter and my husband with the two boys (separately), and the next night we’ll switch. Well, last night one of my children started praying in a lazy, flippant way. I reminded the child gently, “Remember who you’re praying to. This is the God of the Universe and you can’t treat him with disrespect.” The child immediately looked stricken and fearful so I spoke about God’s love – how he’s so much better than Mom or Dad. Mom and Dad are always so busy and say, “not now,” but God is never like that. He always wants to hear from you. He’ll stop whatever he’s doing just to listen to you.”
“You mean he won’t disintegrate me?” the kid asked, doubtfully. And though I gave vehement assurance, the child still refused to pray and went away sorrowful.
Fortunately FORTUNATELY (oh my heart, isn’t it difficult to raise kids?) we have time with our children to teach them more accurately about God. And if there’s any lesson to teach them it’s how MUCH God loves them. If a child only follows out of fear, it’s not a relationship that will go the long haul.
But don’t we all think about God that way sometimes? When we struggle with that same core sin (greed, laziness, selfishness, lust, anger, envy) that leads us into yet another foolish action, don’t we subconsciously say, “This time is it. I’ve used up his patience. Surely he can’t continue to forgive. I should have gotten it by now and I deserve the punishment he will mete out.”?
The thing is …. no. We didn’t use up his patience. He can continue to forgive. We don’t even deserve the punishment. Not anymore we don’t because Jesus not only died for our sins, he was also resurrected. So we are neither punishable for our sins (the ones before we make Christ Lord or the ones after), nor are we punishable for his death. Because he’s alive.
Well how about that.
The thing is, there was this cup that needed to be drunk. It was the cup of God’s wrath, which we deserved for the ways we’ve been offensive to him – in the human condition way where every inclination of man’s heart was only evil all the time. This is the cup of wrath before Mercy came in the form of flesh and walked among us and drank it in our stead:
Awake, awake!
Rise up, Jerusalem,
you who have drunk from the hand of the Lord
the cup of his wrath,
you who have drained to its dregs
the goblet that makes people stagger.
(Isaiah 51:17)
Jesus begged God not to have to drink the cup of God’s wrath. But he was surrendered to God’s will and he did drink it for us.
Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” (Matthew 26:39)
And all of God’s wrath for what we have done in the past, the present and the future was poured into him until he staggered under its weight and cried out.
From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lemasabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). (Matthew 27:45)
He carried the wrath into the bowels of hell and left it there, and now God’s wrath is spent. He has none left for us, even when we continue to walk in weakness and regret. Look here!
This is what your Sovereign Lord says,
your God, who defends his people:
“See, I have taken out of your hand
the cup that made you stagger;
from that cup, the goblet of my wrath,
you will never drink again. (Isaiah 51:22)
When you’re tempted to cringe, waiting for God to strike you because of recurrent (or new) sins, remember that. Remember that he has taken away from you that goblet of his wrath and that you will never drink from it again. When you’re weak, tell yourself that God is not a cruel master. Remember this:
“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” (1 John 4:18)
You won’t walk around fearing punishment because God’s love is perfect, and you were made holy through that perfect love. He has no more wrath, only divine, sparkling, exuberant love for you.
Merry Christmas, dear ones.
