"God is in control" ..

we like to say (and hear) "God is in control" ..

for one thing, that's what we've been taught, at least in conservative christian circles, for sure within fundamentalist-leaning churches and institutions of learning

perhaps another attraction for it is it allows us to make some sense of our dread ..
so that, if, for example, a person suffers from a rare disease or discovers their child's life is threatened by cancer, taking the position that it is 'God's will' seems to deify their otherwise inexplicable circumstance
"God allowed it and my responsibility is to accept that and to somehow glorify God through it all" kinda thingy ..
at least, we convince ourselves that is the case, even with the throbbing quetions that thinking fosters ..
"why me?"
"why my child?" .. ?
why indeed ..

in a recent discussion with a dear friend concerning a close family member who had undergone unsuccessful surgery, they said "we must not get in God's way" ..
when i pressed them to explain, the response was (in effect) that God does things to people to get their attention, including 'bad' things, like that rare disease and cancer threatening that child's life ..

i used to believe that
my religious upbringing was calvinist-styled, so that nothing occurs apart from God's will; God determines everything, and so knows in advance what will happen to each of us, and in fact determines what will happen to each of us
better known as 'God's plan for your life' ..

God engineers everything
God is in control
God planned it that way
so do not get in God's way .. dude

`|`

another friend made the comment that God gave them their heart attacks ..
i mean .. just think about how that sounds !
doesn't that just taste bad in your mind's mouth when you think it ??

`|`

i've been chewing on this for some days now
quite frankly, it rubs me wrong, and that not only emotionally, but biblically too

with all due respect to my friends, whom i respect a lot, and to their religious convictions and indoctrination, and also to the well-trained theological minds that led them (us) to this conclusion ...
it simply doesn't fit Jesus
he doesn't wear that religious conviction very well ..

`|`

i've come to the place where i believe that everything needs to be seen through the telescope and microscope of Jesus, and that where there is a discrepancy, Jesus' take on it is the take on it .. period

i've taken this as my entry-point because Jesus is the perfect (and perfected) representation of God in human form ..
besides the fact that he, as the Word, designed and created the universe, and that nothing that was created was created apart from him, he 'radiates God's own glory, and expresses the very character of God' (Hebrews 1:2,3)
the writer of the letter we entitle 'the epistle to the hebrews' then proceeds to justify that position, repeatedly demonstrating Jesus to be 'better' or superior to anyone, anywhere, anytime ..

so that my position is Jesus' position everytime - whatever his take on it is, that's mine, at least to the extent that i can determine his take; failing that, i look for the position that most closely reflects who Jesus is ie. how he thought, what he said, his attitudes and actions

so that, when Jesus redefined the long-standing Law with "you have heard it said ..., but I say ...", to me, Law just got redefined ..
"the Law says 'thou shalt not commit adultery, but I tell you .."
"Law says 'eye for eye, tooth for tooth' but I say .." ..
Jesus trumps Law .. even God's Law!

the scriptures are subordinate to and subject to Jesus, not the other way around
it is Jesus we worship, not the scriptures
(this is not to detract from or debase scripture btw)

with that in mind, i humbly approach "God is in control" ..

next time

peace