Before the Valley
It can be a struggle to understand God, and anger often arises from our misunderstanding of Him. God is different from us. This distinction qualifies Him to save us from our brokenness. Through addressesing the misconception of God's distance and ambivalence, we can begin to see that His apparent distance is an invitation for us to draw closer to Him. Through a relationship with God, we can discover our true selves and live authentically. By embracing the gift of relational refinement, we allow our lives to be transformed by God.
“When I was born they looked at me and said, ‘What a good boy. What a smart boy.” What a strong boy.’ And when you were born they looked at you and said, ‘What a good girl. What a smart girl. What a pretty girl.’ We’ve got these chains hanging ‘round our necks. People want to strangle us with them before we take our first breath”
The Struggle to Understand God
The anger toward God that often emerges stems from a fundamental misunderstanding of who He is and how He operates. We tend to project our limited human perspectives onto Him, expecting Him to think, act, and relate to us in the same way we do. However, when we pause to reflect, we realize the flaw in this line of thinking. As flawed and broken beings, we are inherently incapable of fully grasping the nature of God. In fact, if God were like us, we would be left drowning in our own brokenness, unable to find true rescue or redemption.
God's Qualifications as the Great Rescuer
The key to understanding God's role as the Great Rescuer lies in recognizing His inherent difference from us. We desperately need Him to be "other than" us because it is precisely this distinction that qualifies Him to save us from ourselves. Left to our own devices, we are prone to error, selfishness, and destructive behavior. If God were to be like us in all our brokenness, we would never find true salvation. However, His divine nature enables Him to rise above our limitations and offer us a lifeline.
The Myth of God's Distance and Ambivalence
Many people experience feelings of distance and separation from God, which can lead to doubts and despair. However, understanding that God is "other than" us also helps us realize that His apparent distance is not a result of ambivalence towards us, but rather an invitation to draw closer to Him. Despite His otherness, God actively closes the gap between us and Him. He takes the initiative, making the first move towards us, and choosing to pursue a relationship with us. His love is active, genuine and intimate, illuminating our path and giving us the confidence to move towards Him.
God's Knowing and Our True Identity
In His pursuit of us, God knows us intimately. His knowledge of who we truly are goes beyond our superficial or false selves. Many individuals roam this earth living inauthentic lives, operating from a constructed false self that was never meant to exist. This happens because they have not allowed God's relational refinement to shape their identity. By embracing the relationship God offers, we can discover our true selves and live authentically.
Embracing Relational Refinement
It is crucial to recognize that our anger towards God often arises from the false assumption that He should be like us. However, our brokenness and limitations prevent us from comprehending the true nature of God. It is precisely because He is "other than" us that He can be the Great Rescuer we so desperately need. God's apparent distance is not due to ambivalence but is an invitation to draw closer to Him. He takes the initiative, pursues us with love, and teaches us who we truly are. Let us embrace the gift of relational refinement that He so freely offers, allowing our lives to be transformed by Him.