Thinking About God

By Ricky Chelette, Executive Director

Do you know that you are a theologian? We all are. Everyone, everywhere is thinking about God in one way or another. That’s what theology is: “thinking about God.” Even the atheist can only identify himself as such by thinking about that which he refuses to acknowledge—God. 

And what we think determines how we act. Though we often say we “act without thinking,” nothing could be further from the truth. Whatever comes out of us, in deed or creed, is really that which is already in us. Therefore, it is imperative that we put into our minds and souls the things of God. This is what Paul had in mind in his admonition to the church in Philippi:

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

Phil. 4:8

We are constantly inundated with information, and it is often difficult to determine truth from lies. Paul’s solution is a simple one. Think upon the things of God. The good things. Things which God reveals in His Word that give life, hope, and a future. These things become the framework around which we understand God and His character. When we immerse our minds in the things of God, we develop a theological worldview where God is rightly placed at the center of everything. He is creator, sustainer, investor, and writer of human history – a history with a determined end and purposeful progression towards His glory and our joy. 

For some, thinking about God can be difficult or even troublesome. Our understanding of God is skewed by experiences in our lives or by relationships with our parents or respected elders. Others have difficulty because they view God as the great killjoy in the sky, always wanting to punish or prevent any “fun” they might have. How we think about God matters and determines how we live. 

In a book entitled Doing Theology with Huck and Jim: Parables for Understanding Doctrine, Mark Shaw reimagines the classic Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as a theological journey. His two characters climb aboard a raft and head down the river, hoping for a life free of restraint:

After a time Huck spoke up. “What’d you bring for food? I’m hungry.” 

Jim unwrapped his bedroll. His worldly wealth was contained in it. Immediately it was all laid out in full view. There was a hat and some fruit, a pair of socks, a rabbit’s foot and a book. Jim tossed Huck a piece of fruit.

“What’d you bring a book for?” asked Huck with a tone of irritation.

“T’ read . . . what else a book good for?”

“What kinda book is it?” Huck asked. 

“Book ‘bout theology,” Jim said, his voice trailing away.

“Theology! I hate theology almost as much as I hate schools and rules,” Huck said, and emphasized the point by spitting into the river.

“What good is theology book on a trip like this?” 

Jim was silent for a long time before he answered. “Trip like this is long. Lotta things gonna happen. Might come in handy.” 

Indeed, “lotta things gonna happen” in life. When life turns from pleasure to pain, or from certainty to uncertainty, we need good theology. In those crucible moments, what we believe about God, His character, and His power will greatly impact our ability to endure the difficulty as a “light and momentary affliction.” How can we do that? Because we know that it “is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Cor. 4:17-18).

How is your theology impacting your view of the world and how you live your life each day? Are you empowered to persevere in Him because you are confident He is good and faithful? Or are you inclined to run to lesser pleasures, easy rebellions, or quick fixes that medicate, but never satiate, your longings? Think about God – think deeply, intentionally, and purposefully. Allow the words of Scripture to be the foundation upon which you develop your ideas of Him, and watch how it changes the way you live!

Why Must It Hurt?

By Ricky Chelette, Executive Director

Born with “bad feet” and a lazy eye, from the moment I came into this world I looked a little weird. As a kid, my mom put drops in my eye that she reports were so strong they could blister the skin. I didn’t like them much, but they were necessary. My feet were another problem. Flat-footed with one club foot, I was fitted with orthopedic shoes from the moment I began to walk. These were not the stylish shoes of the day. They only came in one style and it was ugly. They were bulky, thick-soled, and had a huge arch inside them that felt like I was walking on a huge rock all the time. One shoe also had a strap attached to it that was then attached to my hip to pull my foot into proper position. I wasn’t quite Forrest Gump, but I was close. 

Pain is part of our human experience. From our entrance into this world, to our growing, to aging and eventually to our death, our life is fraught with pain and suffering. I remember how much those shoes hurt. I remember how some of the kids in elementary school teased me. I remember I couldn’t run well in them. But whenever I would complain, my sweet mom would remind me that though the pain was real, it was working something in me that would be good for a lifetime.

The problem is we live in a world averse to pain. Our modern age allows us to medicate every discomfort with a myriad of remedies and distractions. This can be helpful when we experience physical pain caused by disease or injury, but sometimes this aversion to pain prevents us from becoming the people God intends us to be. Pain is a great teacher; it signals something has to change. 

Pain strips away the superfluous in our life. It causes us to see what is real, what is important, and what is true. Pain is, in many instances, a divine opportunity for growth and maturity. I endured the pain of those wretched orthopedic shoes for years. My feet eventually healed and I was later able to run like a stallion! Far too often we attempt to remove pain from our lives when in fact God intends to refine us by it. 

Jesus understands the pain of humanity because He became one of us. In Hebrews 5:7-10 the writer states:

“In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him…”

Jesus “learned obedience through what he suffered.” Jesus, the perfect, sinless, Son of God learned obedience through suffering? How can this be? While it seems odd that Christ would “learn” in this way, the truth is that obedience is only experienced when it is practiced. In other words, a command must be given and followed. An obstacle must be faced and overcome. An addiction must be owned and I must deny it and submit it to Christ. That means there must be a time of testing, a time when the option to do something other than obey is present. 

The Bible tells us that Jesus was tempted in all ways as we are tempted, yet without sin (Heb. 4:15). As a human with all the temptations of the flesh, Jesus chose to obey the Father. He could have escaped. He was God. He faced a pain more severe than any of us. The cross was looming in His immediate future. He knew it. He saw it. He knew it was the purpose for which He came into the world (Jn. 18:37-38). The crucifixion offered Christ the opportunity to experience what we experience in the flesh – the ability to choose obedience. Out of that momentary suffering, He was “made perfect [means complete; fulfilling the mission] and became the source of salvation for all who would obey” (Heb. 5:9). What a Savior!

I don’t think much about those shoes or the eye drops anymore. Their memory seems like a lifetime ago. My feet have walked all over the world sharing the Gospel and my eye has seen the glory of God’s creation and the beauty of the saints who trust in Him. Who would have known? A little suffering in the moment did indeed bring a lifetime of goodness. 

What are the pains in your life? What do your corrective shoes look like? Early childhood abuse, a deep sense of loneliness, feelings of abandonment, rape, bullying, or utter betrayal? Will you let your pain bring you closer to Jesus? Will you submit to His ways and allow the life of the Son to flow through you and grow you into the man or woman God wants you to be? Will you allow the Refiners fire to work in you, purifying your life to reflect the glory of God? 

So I ask the question, why must life hurt? In order that He might truly heal! Life is painful, but that pain can allow us to experience precious fellowship with our Savior.

We Work So Hard

By Ricky Chelette, Executive Director

“At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.” (Titus 4:3-5)

We live in a work oriented world. We spend the majority of our lives seeking to be productive people. As a result, we often apply that work orientation to our faith and salvation. We want to work our way to God’s good graces. 

But Paul’s letter to Titus corrects our misconceptions of work and salvation in this powerful passage. 

Paul, like all good evangelists, wants Titus to know how we lived our lives before we encountered God so we can appreciate what has been done for us. In Titus 3:3 Paul gives a list to remind: foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures, full of malice, envy and hate. This is, unfortunately, how we live apart from Jesus. We can’t help it, but we are responsible for it. It is sin, living and working its way out in our lives and seeking to destroy us. 

But notice what happens in verse 4: “…the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared.” 

Is that the first thought you have when you think of Jesus appearing on the scene of humanity? Do you think kindness and love? Or do you think judgment and punishment? And notice that it does not say, Jesus demonstrated kindness and love (though certainly He does), but that the One who appeared was kindness and love. These attributes are not merely actions of our God, they are the essence of who He is.

I’m inclined to think that most of us think of God primarily as judge and punisher, but we are wrong. John tells us specifically in John 3:17 “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.” 

Jesus showed up on earth and we were able to see the reality of the God who had been relentlessly pursuing redemption and reconciliation with His creation since the beginning of time. His very character of kindness motivated His actions. His embodiment of love covered a multitude of our sins. 

But that is not all. Paul goes on to tell us, “but when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.” His kindness and love (in the form of God the Son) precipitated a change in our lives. That change transformed us from the kingdom of darkness (all our former ways of living in verse 3), into a kingdom of light– a kingdom of kindness and love! We were “saved.” But how? How did this salvation take place? What did we do? 

Here lies the greatest mystery of all and the truth that distinguishes Christianity from all other religious expressions on the planet. Paul makes it quite clear it was not “because of righteous things we had done.” In other words, we did not work our way into this relationship with God. We didn’t pass a test, check off a list of duties, or master a set of skills. The kindness and love of our Heavenly Father decided to act in an incredible way to save us and it had nothing to do with anything we did, but everything about who He is – kindness and love. It was his mercy that saved us! 

We need mercy. We long for it every time we sin. It is, to be honest, the attribute of God we are most acquainted with because it is the one we are continually experiencing. We might not realize it, but if we don’t receive mercy on a minute by minute basis we are doomed. His mercy, that never-ending outpouring of kindness and love toward us that empowers our holy living, shields us from the wrath we all deserve. 

As one who struggles with sexual temptations and an identity created out of my brokenness rather than my adoption as God’s child, I’m in constant need of God’s mercy. And so are we all. We work so hard to present ourselves as “perfect people,” doing the right things to be pleasing to as many people as we can. We transfer that sense of performance to God and think He operates the same way. He doesn’t. 

Do you know the God of kindness, love and mercy? Why are those not the first words you think of when you describe Him? Have you received the kindness, love and mercy he longs to give you? Are you still trying to work your way into earning His love for you? If you sense His gentle wooing in your heart, He has already called you His beloved. Won’t you receive Him? His mercy is for you. His kindness is towards you. His love can transform your heart and life to make you all He has created you to be. Stop working so hard. Receive the kindness and love of God.