What’s God Offering?

Posted: March 22nd, 2011   Category: Christianity, Common Sense

Yeah, absolutely, I totally get the heaven thing, eternal life, you know, but I don’t get why you believe I need to get seriously into the God thing now? I mean that other stuff all comes later, what’s God offering today? I have to live this life first … right?  Does this sound or seem vaguely familiar? Do you hang with a group that never (ever) talks about God? Or if you wanted to talk about God would it be necessary to cut a few selected sheep out of the herd, the ones that won’t condemn or mock you and just hang with them for awhile? I don’t want to discuss all these questions today even though they are all important, I’d just like to take a quick shot at the first one which is the prerequisite to the others. What’s God Offering? Let’s start with 1 Timothy 6:17, “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment“. Now by itself, this verse says a lot, as a part of Paul’s direction to Timothy. First God provides excellent counsel, advice born out of perfect wisdom and common sense that we are often blind and deaf to. Despite what some believe, nobody enjoys arrogance. Second, wealth is the flightiest of splashy birds, hard gained and too often instantly lost. Third, God is the only dependable bank for hope. His window is always open, no hope is too great for Him and there is nothing beyond His authorization or capabilities. That’s a big one, nothing is impossible for God, so there is always hope. The fourth and final point in this verse, directly answers the first question. God provides us with everything for our enjoyment. This starts with the universe, then we dial it down several big notches; galaxy, solar system, earth, land, sea, air, plants, animals, fish, fowl, people and of course love. If your earthly pleasures are beyond the sub-categorical inclusions of this list maybe I can’t help you here. But God still can, as the source of life, he holds the keys to conscious awareness, without which, all else is nothing. As they love to say in the Midwest, long story short, everything we have, comes from God, it’s His to give and to take away. Assuming anything else is our arrogance. Bringing us back to 1 Timothy 6:18,19. “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life“.

JC Calkins with Common Sense 4 Uncommon People

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