So I do not know if you have read the book Radical, but I would highly recommend it. I read it this past semester only to find out that my church will be going through it in 2011. Radical is basically a challenge to change the American lifestyle of comfy living and to give up the American dream in search of a higher purpose. I do not want to ruin the whole challenge because I want you to read it for yourself, but the above quote stood out to me more than any other sentence in the whole book.
First of all, it shows God's almighty power. He can move the mountains, He can stop the seas, He put every star in place, yet He is loving and gives you and me the freedom to choose how we will live. This choice will either be an abandonment of sin and picking up our crosses to follow Him in full and radical obedience or to turn our backs on Him and to try to go it alone. Despite what some may say, there is no middle ground, it is very black or white. People may go to church, tithe, and pray over meals, but guess what...that's not enough. Basically any decision you make without consulting God, you are saying He isn't needed and that you are fully capable of doing a paralleled or even better job than God himself could do. If this is the case, why don't we just slap Him in the face and say "Thanks but no thanks...I got this junk." ( I feel like I may be stepping on some toes and to be honest my own toes are feeling a bit sore.) So I'm telling the creator of the universe that I know His creation better than He does.
David Platts really breaks it down in the above quote. "Everything in all creation responds in obedience to the Creator...until He gets to you and me. We have the audacity to look God in the face and say, 'No.'" I occasionally wonder if God maybe regrets making such a rebellious and disobedient creation; although I am not God nor do I claim to be anywhere near such glory, I believe the answer to this question is no. Even the most rebellious children are still loved unconditionally by their parents given that those parents are loving and nurturing. This is a reflection of God's love for His children.
I found Platts use of the word "audacity" to be interesting. This word already has a negative connotation, now throw in the denotation of the word audacity which the dictionary defines as "bold or arrogant disregard of normal restraints." Now in realizing that I have the audacity to look God (the creator of the universe and all-powerful being) in the face and tell Him no, my initial reaction was "Wow...I'm such a punk!" But the truth is I'm so much more than that...I'm a sinner. God gives me the freedom to do as I please and every time I do something on my own, I fail. You would think that it would only take a few times to learn this, but yet I do it over and over. God is my only source of of success, and when He comes through for me, I still manage to try to take the glory. Think about it this way, many childrens' first word is "no," how shocking is it when a one year old tells you no? You may think its cute, or you may draw back and be in shock that such a short and simple word can have such an impacting meaning. Chances are if you tell them to do something, it is for their own good or protection...and then they tell you no. You obviously know better than they do, you are wiser, more experienced, and know the dangers of the world around us...but they insist on those two harsh letters, N-O. Welcome to God's shoes. We tell Him no and He continues to love us, but He is so much wiser and is trying to do what is best for us and the advancement of His kingdom (not to mention He also holds the future, which we could never do). So why not just surrender it all and make it easier on yourself and please God? I challenge you (and myself) to follow God into full obedience and radical abandonment of the life you want to live for the abundant life He has planned for you. It won't be easy, but I can guarantee that it will be worth it.
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