I still wonder why and how airplanes, which weigh lots, get up in the air and stay up there. I try to understand from a scientific or engineering stance an the logic makes sense. Yet...I still think gravity trumps logic. So what happens when logic isn't enough? We all have areas in our lives where this remains locked in our mind. Events or circumstances that beg for an answer that will never come. Why do things happen to me and don't happen to others who think, do or say the same thing?
In the book of Ecclesiastics, Solomon wrote that everything on earth was meaningless. Here was a guy who had everything, did everything and indulged himself in his social world. Yet, he states, that everything in life was meaningless. Of course he wasn't talking about a world where God was the very fabric of our life. Nothing outside of God warrants deep attention in our lives. That's what Solomon knew when he had written Ecclesiastics. God wants you and I too know that as well.
Our time here on earth is a very short span (some shorter than others) that is here today and gone tomorrow. We're encouraged to not lay up earthly treasures but to store up our treasures in heaven. Now, that just doesn't make sense even to some Christians. We can talk all we want about diseases but are unable to know for sure what causes what and what treatment will or will not work. Why does a mass murderer remain alive when my baby died? When politicians lie we just chuckle as we all know that they do lie. In fact, we expect it. But, if you or I lie the double standard is illuminated. When someone has everything going on for them suddenly is taken by death is that the will of God?
You see, the problem with "All things work together for those who love the Lord and are called according to his purpose." just doesn't make sense sometimes. God doesn't need to explain everything to us. That doesn't mean we don't need to have an answer to that which doesn't make sense in our lives. God wants us to have faith that he knows what he is doing. Faith! Faith doesn't always make sense. We have all heard stories about or have our own story about how our faith was destroyed, maligned, or strengthened because of something that doesn't make sense.
Part of our approach is in how we look at things. We can look at something with a reflection on the past. "He always does that." Or the reflection may be in the present. "He is doing that again." Finally we can check out the future reflection. "He's going to do that again." Though this is presenting 3 different views of the same problem, we tend to look only at that approach (past, present, future) which best describes our orientation.
I tend to be a "living in the present" sort of person. For me there are lots of unanswered questions that are packed away in boxes and no longer need answering. For me the present is merely a launching pad for the future. The past is important and so are the present and the future. Which ones can we do something about. Certainly nothing before this moment. If we are on our game we can sometimes make different choices in the present. Not knowing how this or that works really is what doesn't make sense. I don't get outside of the present very often.
How often do we have plans that may or may not take place? I once learned that Billy Graham's calendar for speaking dates was 3 years into the future! Most of the time I don't have my future planned for over 3 weeks down the road! Let's see, on July 6, 2020 (six years away) I'll be... what will be going on? Will the Rapture have taken place? Did I ever get that new truck? Will my dogs still be alive? Will I still be alive? The questions are endless.
Jesus tells us to "take no thought of tomorrow" as there are lots of things on our plates for today that we won't get addressed. Don't be concerned about tomorrow. Be concerned about tomorrow. There will be things that don't makes sense then just as there are for today and yesterday. We don't need the answer to all our questions to bring the love of God to those around us. Particularly when there are no answers to be had. And so, here we are available to concentrate on unanswerable questions or we can be there loving our families and others as Jesus would.
I would like to know the answers to the unanswered questions when I get to Heaven. But then I won't care. I'll be busy living in the present and worshipping Jesus.
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