Recently I've had a few conversations with others about how my view of God and my theology have changed over the past 7 years. Trauma, pain, suffering, heartache, loss,__________, can send us on a quest to understand what this life is all about and who's in control. You fill in the blank with what turned your world upside down or sideways. Upheaval is not what we plan for, but maybe we should. I don't mean walking around expecting the worst to happen, but making sure we have a strong foundation from which to respond rather than reacting in a way that may cause more problems. We all have a foundation. Is it a strong one or does it have cracks and holes in it? Who or what is our foundation?
When Jesus was asked which commandment was the most important, He responded:
"...The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul
and with all your mind and with all your strength."
Mark 12:29b-30
By far, the most challenging, but also the most amazing and comforting thing I have learned these past years, is that God IS in control and He IS Sovereign and He IS worthy. With God as my foundation, I will not be knocked down. I might shake a bit, but I will not be shaken loose. Not because of what I've done, but because of what He has and is doing.
A huge part of learning this has come through studying God's Word, listening to strong Biblical teaching through Ligonier Ministries, and reading other books that point me to God. In Mark Batterson's book, Primal, he tells of Oliver Wendell Holmes and his "perceptive distinction between two kinds of simplicity: simplicity on the near side of complexity and simplicity on the far side of complexity. He quotes Holmes as saying, 'I would not give a fig for simplicity on the near side of complexity.'" Batterson goes on to say "Many Christians settle for simplicity on the near side of complexity. Their faith is only mind deep. They know what they believe, but they don't know why they believe what they believe. Their faith is fragile because it has never been tested intellectually or experientially. Near-side Christians have never been in the catacombs of doubt or suffering, so when they encounter questions they cannot answer or experiences they cannot explain, it causes a crisis of faith. For far-side Christians, those who have done their time in the catacombs of doubt or suffering, unanswerable questions and unexplainable experiences actually result in a heightened appreciation for the mystery and majesty of a God who does not fit within the logical constraints of the left brain. Near side Christians, on the other hand, lose their faith before they've really found it."
On the far-side, I have come to a peaceful realization that I will never fully understand the enormity and the magnificence of God Almighty or why He does all that He does. It is enough to know that He has it all figured out and I can rest in that assurance and simply trust Him. He has a marvelous plan that only He can see and He will guide me through whatever touches my life for He already knows. Loving Him is the greatest privilege and joy and has brought much contentment in the midst of upheaval. When we love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength - our entire being - we will respond to crises by trusting our sure foundation, come what may.
