Way Truth Life Apologetics

(original post 8 Jun 2020)

   I spent much of this evening reflecting on a brief conversation I had with an acquaintance some time ago. She was a single mom trying to provide for her family. She struggled to find work, hoped to find employment for financial stability, and ultimately to save money and start her own business. From time to time, I would try to encourage her in her struggles by sharing Scripture verses. One of the last times I shared some Scripture (from Psalms), her reply shocked me. She stated that she didn’t have time to read the Bible; she was too busy trying to find work. I was dumbfounded and 3 emotions hit me rapid fire within seconds. First, I was shocked—I did not expect such a response to sharing Bible passages. Then I felt upset, which quickly transferred to sadness and grief. I was upset at the feeling of rejection, which was directed against what I shared from God’s Word but also felt as though it was directed at me. That’s when feelings of sadness and grief set in.

   I responded that no matter what we’re going through in life, there should always be time for God. The next response brought more sadness as she declared that she reads the Bible on Sundays and the rest of the week is “her time.” I was grieved because this brief exchange pointed to the importance and priority God played in her life. She claimed to be a Christian which is why it was such an unexpected situation. As I dwelled on the conversation, I sensed the profoundness of it all. Many Christians, especially in the US, treat God the same way. They sit on the throne of their own lives, and bring God out on Sundays, then put Him away again till the next time.

   To put things into perspective, let’s try to understand the big picture. Mankind is in a bad way. Looking at the news reports in recent weeks, we can see how depraved and immoral our thoughts and actions can be. When the sun goes down, different parts of some cities are burning, stores are broken into and things stolen, people are assaulted; it’s utter chaos. Christians have an answer to this problem—we’re full of sin!

   God, in His eternal nature, knew that sin would corrupt His creation and especially us humans. And instead of letting us be utterly consumed by it, He rolled up His sleeves and took action to fix the issue. God moved heaven and earth (literally) by coming down here to face things head on. When Jesus was born in a small, obscure town in Israel, the heavenly hosts looked on with awe! When Jesus walked the earth, teaching, healing, and ministering, the demons He encountered trembled with fear and cried out that it wasn’t yet time for them to be sent to hell. When Jesus hung on a cross, bore our shame, our sin, our deserved wrath from God, He declared “Father forgive them!”

   There is a reason the Bible uses marriage as an illustration. God established marriage in Genesis 2 with Adam and Eve. When we get to the New Testament, we see numerous references to marriage, especially as it relates to Jesus’ relationship to the church. He is the bridegroom and we (Christians) are His bride. Let me ask: If you’re a husband, how loved or appreciated would you feel if you’re wife only sought to spend time with you for an hour or two, once a week? If you’re a wife, how much would you truly value the relationship if you were only going to give 1-2 hours a week to be with your husband? How strong can that relationship truly be?

   If we don’t feel loved, desired, appreciated, etc, our tendency is to seek out someone who will make us feel that way. That’s part of the reason divorce rates are so high in this modern society. God’s not like that. God’s love for us comes from His eternal, perfect nature. Our love is finite and imperfect, often self-serving at its root. When we’re feeling rejected, we tend to look to another. Not so with God. Ravi Zacharias made a point on occasion about the difference between how we love as humans and how God loves. Ravi puts it that when we love and are rejected, we hurt because we’ve lost something. When God loves and we reject Him, God hurts, but not because He has lost something. God hurts because WE have lost something.

   Humans are relational beings. We’re that way because God made us in His likeness and image. God exists in a perfect relationship between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We mirror that in each of our relationships. We have the subject of love (ourselves), the object of our love (another being), and that love is expressed through the spirit of love (another illustration from Ravi).

   When my acquaintance responded the way she did to the Scripture I shared, she showed how little she values her relationship with God. I can certainly relate; I haven’t always been close to God. I spent most of my Christian walk doing my own thing and barely giving God a second thought. Over the past 9+ years, my thoughts and attitude have changed since being under solid Biblical teaching and preaching, and understanding that the strength and depth of my relationship with God reflects how much time and effort I’m willing to put into it. Just like my marriage to my wife, anything less than 100% will provide weakness for temptation, bitterness, feelings of being unappreciated, etc. to set in.

   So, I take this last little bit to ask the question above: How’s Your Relationship With God? Is it casual with a bit of time on Sundays? Or do you strive to seek after Him daily, to communicate in prayer, to cry out in times of need, to read His Word and learn the truths within, to walk closer to Him as you go day by day through this life? I believe our experience of heaven with God will reflect how we sought Him here in this life. Christians like Billy Graham, the Apostle Paul, Ravi Zacharias, Adrian Rogers, and numerous others had an intimacy with God that I desire to have. That closeness can be achieved; we have to be intentional and diligent in our pursuit. God will get as close to us as we allow Him to! Let’s strive to grow closer with Him!

~In Christ!