Monthly Archive for August, 2010

I hate being misunderstood.  Every now and then someone comes to a wrong conclusion about something I did, and it really bothers me.  For some reason I feel the need to explain.

God seems to not have that problem.  The things He does or doesn’t do, and the motives behind those actions, are constantly questioned.  For example, although the Bible states that God is love, He is often accused of not caring.  God never really clarifies, despite being misinterpreted.

So why the huge disparity between my reactions and God’s?  Why do I get so riled up when people think I’ve fallen short, (though the details obviously show otherwise, if only they’d listen to me), yet the same scenario doesn’t appear to rattle God at all?  Maybe it’s because He’s God.  He’s pretty sure of Himself and doesn’t have a lot to prove.

It’s good that God doesn’t lack confidence like I do.  I’m kind of glad that He doesn’t cower, wring His hands, and try to win me over to His point of view when I disagree.  That would be less than comforting, given that He has some pretty complex stuff to handle.

Sure, it would be nice if God would tell me His rationale sometimes.  But given the choice between a secure ruler of the universe who has everything under control and chooses to remain silent, and a divine Someone who worries about justifying Himself to His creation, I’ll take the former.

I recently ran across a scripture verse that might change my life.  It’s in Proverbs, and it says “A person’s virtue is to overlook an offense.”

I need to hear that.  Too often I want to bring the offense to light.  I do it with the guise of trying to understand, or to find resolution… but are those my true motives?  I wonder.

Another trick I use is convincing myself that I’m just doing what another Bible passage says, “speaking the truth in love.”  But Proverbs tells me that, in some situations at least, the truly loving thing is to just give the other person a bye, as though it never happened.

Will this be a defining moment in my journey?  I guess only time – and a few offenses – will tell. 

(P.S. — Please read the comment, below, by “Deeply Flawed.”  Very insightful.)

It’s impossible to get away from God, no matter how hard or how far we run.  David knew that from experience.  After a lifetime of sometimes seeking and often avoiding the Lord, David, finally gave up the struggle.  His conclusion?  “You have encircled me.”

I’ve often been led to believe that God’s presence is a destination somewhere, and it’s up to me to travel to it.  “It’s over there,” they said.  “And you have to do this, this, and this in order to find it.”

Not so, according to David, and I heartily agree.  God is all around me, like a circle.