As has been observed by many, there is a tendency for adults in social settings to identify ourselves not by who we are, but by what we do.
“I’m a dentist.” “I’m a plumber.” “My team has just started working on a new project.” “My team has just finished working on a large project.” And so on…
For whatever reason, we feel the need to define ourselves by our work and our achievements. We perhaps feel the need to validate our existence by what we have done or are doing.
But do we?
And what if we’re bedridden? Or underemployed? Or unemployed? What if we have an injury and are unable to work for some time?
Who are we then?
When I worked as a casual teacher, I had a lot of work. Yet it was fascinating how at church during this time, people didn’t know what to say. I was underemployed in their eyes. Never mind the fact that I was working nearly every day of a school term.
I didn’t have a job in their eyes. It was as though they couldn’t compute on how to understand me as a person, because I didn’t have a clear thing that I did.
So who was I then? Who is any adult when they don’t have a clearly defined role or responsibilities?
The same person we always were. Just hopefully a little wiser than those around us using their work to define themselves.
Now this all sounds good in theory, but when the rubber hits the road on any of these scenarios, do we find ourselves thinking God feels differently about us?
Why has God made this happen? Why does God make any form of suffering or frustration happen? Does God want to teach me something?
If so, then why doesn’t he teach everyone something? He’s God he could do it.
Some people seem to get more ‘lessons’ in life than others.
It’s very easy to start asking why. And wondering if there’s something particularly wrong with you that needs to be fixed.
Is it because I am so very sinful that I need to learn this lesson (and those 20 others)?
But that can’t be so. That theology doesn’t stack up. Because everyone is born into sin. And being ‘in sin’ is a state of being from which everyone needs intervention.
Maybe not everyone is listening to God when he conducts the intervention.
And maybe God is not in an eternally bad mood with you, or me, or anyone. If he was, he’d never have never looked at us in our sinful state and provided an exit strategy, called Jesus Christ.
For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation.
The Lord takes delight – delight – in his people.
But let’s be real. There are times when I’ve said to God that “I’m glad I’m your friend: because if this is how you treat your friends, I don’t want to even know how you treat your enemies.”
Sometimes it feels like God’s not sure how to be friends. Aren’t you supposed to be kind to your friends and treat them well? Why does he so often seem to be causing them as many problems as possible and ignoring them?
At times it feels like God’s forgotten us. No wonder the psalmist asks God to keep him ‘as the apple of your eye.’ He clearly feels sidelined.
But maybe God is doing the very opposite. We’ve not been sidelined. The apple is firmly in place.
What if God is not a sideliner, but instead more like the most enthusiastic friend we’ve ever met, wanting to show us just how much He can do.
The words from one of my favourite hymns expresses it in this way:
When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
when our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
when we reach the end of our hoarded resources,
our Father’s full giving is only begun.
His love has no limit; His grace has no measure.
His pow’r has no boundary known unto men.
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus,
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again[1]!
“For daily need there is daily grace; for sudden need, sudden grace; for overwhelming need, overwhelming grace[2].”
Here’s a thought for the day – God is happy with you. Is that theologically sound?
It is, if you are in Christ.
Yours not sure if she’s teaching or learning,
Alison
[1] Annie Johnson Flint “He Giveth More Grace”
[2] John Blanchard “Truth for Life” as quoted in Barbara Hughes’ “Disciplines of a Godly Woman” (as is Annie Johnson Flint)
This post inspired by reflections on sections of ‘Diamonds in the Dust’ by Joni Eareckson Tada