Who says? Haven't we all heard that one? It's a favorite childhood comeback. I remember using it. Looking back now, I think it was because of the comfort I derived from knowing that somewhere, at some level, someone had greater power than either me or my opponent, and that, that same someone could actually declare the firm answer to our debate. We would then be able to count our conflict resolved...over...dead.
Of course, both my opposing peer and I wanted to be on the right side of the issue being argued, but as nature itself demonstrates, opposites are not united in their direction or in their states of being. If one wind goes westwardly, the opposing wind heads east. If a space has light, it cannot also be void of light. The same is true of right versus wrong. True or false. We can't have it both ways because it just cannot be.
If, for example, I say that a certain box of rocks weighs 32.5 kilograms, and the postal clerk says that same box weighs 37.5 kilograms, one of us MUST be wrong. Maybe both of us are wrong. We will have to weigh it on an accurate scale in order to find out for absolute certain how much the box of rocks weighs. An irrefutable law of nature is the authority, here, and the accurate scale is the standard by which we can measure the box's weight.
If the scale reads 32.5 kg, then I am right. If the scale reads any other number, then I am wrong. You see? I cannot be both right and wrong at the same time about the true weight of the box and its contents. Without a doubt, there are all sorts of arguments which would seem to validate a wrong claim (let's assume mine), but if I will be honest, I will concede that the authoritative standard shows me to be wrong. It would be pointless to try to prove otherwise, wouldn't it!
The whole point of that silly illustration is clear though, I hope. Right cannot be wrong, and vice-versa. Likewise, there is either an almighty Authority or there is not. Whether either claim can be proven with no room for doubt doesn't matter. Why? Because the fact is, and always will be, that there either is or is not an almighty Authority. That is a trustworthy statement.
So, then, with that bold thought, where does one go from here? Well, I for one, have decided that I need to have reached a conclusion about this Authority's existence in my own mind and heart in order to proceed through life with direction. So when I come to one of life's many crossroads, I can choose my path with confidence and follow it with conviction. Conversely, I would be left to make decisions based on my own faulty reasoning, emotions, and experience. Probably most of the negatives of approaching life with uncertainty...even doubt and fear...are self-evident.
OK, is there a believable argument for the existence of one Almighty Authority (I'll call this Authority "God")? I think there is. As a matter of fact, I think there are quite a few! I have considered scientific (empirical), physical, emotional, spiritual, philosophical, and common sense reasons to believe in God. And those are not all there are!! Next blog, I intend to look into just one of these. Come back and consider it with me--I would love to know your thoughts about it. Thank you for being here today. :)
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Recently I saw a bumper sticker with someone’s philosophy presented. It said, “The purpose of life is to live it.” Well, I can agree to a point with that, but there are multiple choices we make as we live our lives, and some of them can cause us detrimental harm. Some of our choices have the potential to actually devastate the very lives we are striving to experience with pleasure.
So-o-o-o-o…….what good does it do to fulfill “the purpose of life” if in the process, we end up destroying that life?? Use any definition of “destroying” you want to and you’ll get the same question from me. A careless or indiscriminate effort to “live it” is not wise and will most likely result in something other than contentment.
The God I serve (i.e. the God of the Bible) counsels us in a healthful direction…in a right direction: Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4).
If I am to heed this advice, I need to delight in God. Not in just any god, and not in a plurality of gods…but in the LORD God. The word for LORD here refers to the Creator God’s own name for Himself—YHWH, Jehovah, or “I Am that I AM.” This is one of those things that can be verified by anyone who wants to know the truth about the claim. Check it out for yourself!
The original Hebrew word of this Scripture, from which we get the translation “LORD,” was understood by Moses and the people of the covenant given at Mt. Sinai to be God's personal name. The name chosen by God by which He would relate specifically to His covenant people. The Almighty God of the Bible called Himself “I Am that I AM.” There is no other name like it. The name is His alone, and to try delighting myself in another lord won’t work. It will not yield the result stated.
This same principle is at work in the instruction Jesus gave, which is recorded in the New Testament book of Matthew, chapter 6: No one can serve two masters…. You cannot serve both God and Money. Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear…. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (from verses 24, 25, and 33).
Right about here in the discussion, someone might say, “I don’t believe it. I have always believed in Almighty God, and he hasn’t given me the desires of my heart. In fact, I seem to run into nothing but trouble!”
I have two thoughts to offer in response to such a comment, which I believe shows a misunderstanding of those specific benefits that God and his Son promised. The first thing I want to say is that the psalm does not state or even imply that everything our hearts desire will be granted us if we believe in the LORD. After all, don’t we find New Testament scripture, acknowledging that even the demons believe that—and shudder (James 2:19) Certainly, none or us would dare suggest that God must then give Satan and his crew the desires of their hearts!
No, the promise clearly is given to those who delight themselves in the LORD God. Now, what does it mean to delight oneself in someone else?
Many of us delight ourselves in things all the time. For example, on a hot, sunny day, when it happens that I have the money and an opportunity to relax, with nothing that demands my immediate attention, I can really delight myself in a double-scoop ice cream cone, especially if one of those scoops is coffee flavor, and the other is peanut butter-chocolate chip. (Otherwise, I could just as well delight myself in a combination of cookies-and-cream and mint-chocolate chip.) By the way, I will definitely thank God for allowing me the pleasure of that treat, but in no way will I insist that it is because I believe in God that I am able to indulge in eating it. After all, an atheist can enjoy ice cream, too.
But that aside, the point I want to make is that when we delight in a thing, it is quite different (though there are similarities) from delighting in a person.
If I delight myself in chocolate, I simply enjoy it…a LOT. But when I delight myself in another person—my husband, for instance, I enjoy thinking about his needs, wishes, and requests, which then leads me to behave in ways that I know—or believe—will make him happy.
The same holds true of my delighting myself in Almighty God. I enjoy thinking about him. It makes me happy, I feel a sense of comforting peace, and I am energized as I read from the Bible (Old and New Testament scriptures) to learn more about him. I study his dealings with various individuals and groups of people over the years, meditate on the instructions he has given, and discover which commands and promises apply directly to me, as a genuine follower of Jesus Christ.
Then I make sure my behavior follows suit. I don't just feel pleasure or gladness that comes with believing in God, but I also do what I know delights Him, as a result of my belief. It is a phenomenon, that His desires then become the desires of my own heart. Voila! Problem solved.
I'd love to consider your thoughts on these things, so please, leave a comment. And please come join me here for more thoughts tomorrow!
So-o-o-o-o…….what good does it do to fulfill “the purpose of life” if in the process, we end up destroying that life?? Use any definition of “destroying” you want to and you’ll get the same question from me. A careless or indiscriminate effort to “live it” is not wise and will most likely result in something other than contentment.
The God I serve (i.e. the God of the Bible) counsels us in a healthful direction…in a right direction: Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4).
If I am to heed this advice, I need to delight in God. Not in just any god, and not in a plurality of gods…but in the LORD God. The word for LORD here refers to the Creator God’s own name for Himself—YHWH, Jehovah, or “I Am that I AM.” This is one of those things that can be verified by anyone who wants to know the truth about the claim. Check it out for yourself!
The original Hebrew word of this Scripture, from which we get the translation “LORD,” was understood by Moses and the people of the covenant given at Mt. Sinai to be God's personal name. The name chosen by God by which He would relate specifically to His covenant people. The Almighty God of the Bible called Himself “I Am that I AM.” There is no other name like it. The name is His alone, and to try delighting myself in another lord won’t work. It will not yield the result stated.
This same principle is at work in the instruction Jesus gave, which is recorded in the New Testament book of Matthew, chapter 6: No one can serve two masters…. You cannot serve both God and Money. Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear…. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (from verses 24, 25, and 33).
Right about here in the discussion, someone might say, “I don’t believe it. I have always believed in Almighty God, and he hasn’t given me the desires of my heart. In fact, I seem to run into nothing but trouble!”
I have two thoughts to offer in response to such a comment, which I believe shows a misunderstanding of those specific benefits that God and his Son promised. The first thing I want to say is that the psalm does not state or even imply that everything our hearts desire will be granted us if we believe in the LORD. After all, don’t we find New Testament scripture, acknowledging that even the demons believe that—and shudder (James 2:19) Certainly, none or us would dare suggest that God must then give Satan and his crew the desires of their hearts!
No, the promise clearly is given to those who delight themselves in the LORD God. Now, what does it mean to delight oneself in someone else?
Many of us delight ourselves in things all the time. For example, on a hot, sunny day, when it happens that I have the money and an opportunity to relax, with nothing that demands my immediate attention, I can really delight myself in a double-scoop ice cream cone, especially if one of those scoops is coffee flavor, and the other is peanut butter-chocolate chip. (Otherwise, I could just as well delight myself in a combination of cookies-and-cream and mint-chocolate chip.) By the way, I will definitely thank God for allowing me the pleasure of that treat, but in no way will I insist that it is because I believe in God that I am able to indulge in eating it. After all, an atheist can enjoy ice cream, too.
But that aside, the point I want to make is that when we delight in a thing, it is quite different (though there are similarities) from delighting in a person.
If I delight myself in chocolate, I simply enjoy it…a LOT. But when I delight myself in another person—my husband, for instance, I enjoy thinking about his needs, wishes, and requests, which then leads me to behave in ways that I know—or believe—will make him happy.
The same holds true of my delighting myself in Almighty God. I enjoy thinking about him. It makes me happy, I feel a sense of comforting peace, and I am energized as I read from the Bible (Old and New Testament scriptures) to learn more about him. I study his dealings with various individuals and groups of people over the years, meditate on the instructions he has given, and discover which commands and promises apply directly to me, as a genuine follower of Jesus Christ.
Then I make sure my behavior follows suit. I don't just feel pleasure or gladness that comes with believing in God, but I also do what I know delights Him, as a result of my belief. It is a phenomenon, that His desires then become the desires of my own heart. Voila! Problem solved.
I'd love to consider your thoughts on these things, so please, leave a comment. And please come join me here for more thoughts tomorrow!
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Is there an Almighty God? That’s the question I want to pose.
Of course, really, we all know that there is a god…many gods. In fact, there is at least one for each of us. I mean that if a person will take an honest look at his or her priorities, the god of that person will surface—will become evident.
god is the thing or person at the top of the list.
god might be an activity, a lack of activity, a pet, a religion, a place, a creation, a paycheck, a cause. Could even be sleep, or worry, arrogance, or modest-ness. I simply could not include every single possibility. The point, though, I hope is clear.
We always pursue our god. Some of us have more than one god to which we pay homage. Some of us are extreme worshipers of our gods, and some of us worship without even realizing—or acknowledging—that we do.
Let’s get personal now! What gods get our devotion? What god gets your devotion? Do you worship your god deliberately, or would you see the price of adoring your god only after you've listed the things in your life that matter most?
Regardless of how any of us might answer these questions, the first question I asked is the most important one. Why? Well, because if there is an Almighty God, a God who is Above all and In all, then we have some serious matters to consider. Truly, not just to consider, but to act upon! Many of us would just as soon ignore this reality… just as soon not deal with it.
You might feel that life is too comfortable enough for you by now to make changes. Or you might be skeptical, thinking another change will not—or cannot—improve anything. You might even dislike life. A change in thinking, let alone in behavior is repugnant to you.
Maybe you already believe in Almighty God, but you fail to see His concern for a world already set in motion with predetermined laws of nature in place. For you, the Almighty might be “hands-off,” impersonal, unapproachable, indifferent.
Me? I believe in One Almighty God. My God created the heavens and the earth an all that is in them. He cares for me and everyone else. He gives grace to all who come to Him on His terms. My God is the only true God, and all other gods become nothing in His presence. And His presence is everywhere, which means all other gods fail.
Am I now the epitome of conceit? Please, no! I hate arrogance! It is just that I, possibly like you, have come to a decisive conclusion that life must be more than waking up, eating, checking the weather, getting dressed, going somewhere, doing something, talking to someone, eating some more, relaxing and going to bed before doing it (with variations here and there) all over again.
There must be more to life than video gaming, hunting & fishing, extreme sports, helping others, taking care of ourselves, vacationing, staying sober, feeling good, buying & selling, letting our creativity flow, teaching, learning, engineering & building, exploring & discovering, authoring, rousing others to action, entertaining, organizing, and/or whatever else we believe is worthwhile.
I have spent time, energy, and tears seeking more, and I have found more.
Tomorrow I want to share some more thoughts on this..... Hope you will come back to think them through with me!
Of course, really, we all know that there is a god…many gods. In fact, there is at least one for each of us. I mean that if a person will take an honest look at his or her priorities, the god of that person will surface—will become evident.
god is the thing or person at the top of the list.
god might be an activity, a lack of activity, a pet, a religion, a place, a creation, a paycheck, a cause. Could even be sleep, or worry, arrogance, or modest-ness. I simply could not include every single possibility. The point, though, I hope is clear.
We always pursue our god. Some of us have more than one god to which we pay homage. Some of us are extreme worshipers of our gods, and some of us worship without even realizing—or acknowledging—that we do.
Let’s get personal now! What gods get our devotion? What god gets your devotion? Do you worship your god deliberately, or would you see the price of adoring your god only after you've listed the things in your life that matter most?
Regardless of how any of us might answer these questions, the first question I asked is the most important one. Why? Well, because if there is an Almighty God, a God who is Above all and In all, then we have some serious matters to consider. Truly, not just to consider, but to act upon! Many of us would just as soon ignore this reality… just as soon not deal with it.
You might feel that life is too comfortable enough for you by now to make changes. Or you might be skeptical, thinking another change will not—or cannot—improve anything. You might even dislike life. A change in thinking, let alone in behavior is repugnant to you.
Maybe you already believe in Almighty God, but you fail to see His concern for a world already set in motion with predetermined laws of nature in place. For you, the Almighty might be “hands-off,” impersonal, unapproachable, indifferent.
Me? I believe in One Almighty God. My God created the heavens and the earth an all that is in them. He cares for me and everyone else. He gives grace to all who come to Him on His terms. My God is the only true God, and all other gods become nothing in His presence. And His presence is everywhere, which means all other gods fail.
Am I now the epitome of conceit? Please, no! I hate arrogance! It is just that I, possibly like you, have come to a decisive conclusion that life must be more than waking up, eating, checking the weather, getting dressed, going somewhere, doing something, talking to someone, eating some more, relaxing and going to bed before doing it (with variations here and there) all over again.
There must be more to life than video gaming, hunting & fishing, extreme sports, helping others, taking care of ourselves, vacationing, staying sober, feeling good, buying & selling, letting our creativity flow, teaching, learning, engineering & building, exploring & discovering, authoring, rousing others to action, entertaining, organizing, and/or whatever else we believe is worthwhile.
I have spent time, energy, and tears seeking more, and I have found more.
Tomorrow I want to share some more thoughts on this..... Hope you will come back to think them through with me!
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