God Doesn't Need Our Intellect
I was just thinking of this very thing this morning after reading My Utmost for His Highest (I read the wrong day on accident this morning -- March 28th -- but it was so good!):This attitude—that God needs help from our shining intellects to make His will be done on earth—is becoming more and more pervasive. It’s evident in everything from neo-conservative political follies to homeschooling stage parents who are anxious to push their children to the heights of academic achievement. But God doesn’t “need” our help to achieve His purposes. He does, however, require that we have no other gods before Him, including our fail-safe strategies. He expects His people to use the gifts and talents He has given to His glory. There’s no need to hide our lights under a bushel to engage in Trojan Horse, stealth infiltration of the enemy’s strongholds.
Let’s boldly proclaim God’s truth wherever we go and teach our children to do the same. Let’s begin each day, the day that the Lord has made, by getting back to basics, acknowledging that whether debating public policy or which book to read next, all belongs to God and is to be evaluated according to His absolute truth. If that offends some people (or amuses them), shake the dust off your feet and move on, but don’t give up.
I may not understand what Jesus Christ says, but it is dangerous to say that therefore He was mistaken in what He said. It is never right to think that my obedience to a word of God will bring dishonour to Jesus. The only thing that will bring dishonour is not obeying Him. To put my view of His honour in place of what He is plainly impelling me to do is never right, although it may arise from a real desire to prevent Him being put to open shame. I know when the proposition comes from God because of its quiet persistence: When I have to weigh the pros and cons, and doubt and debate come in, I am bringing in an element that is not of God, and I come to the conclusion that the suggestion was not a right one. Many of us are loyal to our notions of Jesus Christ, but how many of us are loyal to Him? Loyalty to Jesus means I have to step out where I do not see anything (cf. Matt. 14:29); loyalty to my notions means that I clear the ground first by my intelligence. Faith is not intelligent understanding, faith is deliberate commitment to a Person where I see no way.
Are you debating whether to take a step in faith in Jesus or to wait until you can see how to do the thing yourself? Obey Him with glad reckless joy. When He says something and you begin to debate, it is because you have a conception of His honour which is not His honour. Are you loyal to Jesus or loyal to your notion of Him? Are you loyal to what He says, or are you trying to compromise with conceptions which never came from Him? "Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it."
posted by Crystal Paine at 8:47 AM
6 Comments:
Amen.
How many times have we reasoned ourselves out of His will?
May we all live by faith in Him...He is worthy!
Thank you for this post! I just want to say that I am very thankful for this blog, and the many things you share of value, good, Godly things, all of which are so needful in our day (especially uncovering feminism for us women). But above all, I rejoice in that you often point us to Christ, and His salvation! I am so glad that you lift Him up as the ultimate importance in our lives. That, though we desire to live Godly, righteous lives, clinging to Christ by faith is the essence of a Christian's life. God bless you on your spiritual journey, Crystal!
A famous modern rabbi once said, "What we need more than anything else is not textbooks, but text-people." It is our obedience to the Lord which shows who He is and not how well we can argue for Him.
Great thoughts!
Anna, thank you for your sweet encouragement. If Christ is not the center of our life and our reason for living, there is no reason for existence. Any other good things we can do will be worthless if they are not done for the glory of God!
Hi Crystal, Mrs. Unruh a.k.a. Majormom here. I've been reading your blog lately and yesterday I realized that your precious daughter is the age that MaKayla was and MaKayla is the age you were when we went to the same church!! Isn't that a flip flop. I enjoy your posts. Hugs
...'you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind...'
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