{"id":6654,"date":"2020-04-17T12:51:48","date_gmt":"2020-04-17T17:51:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.holytrinityweb.com\/weekly\/?p=6654"},"modified":"2020-06-18T21:09:58","modified_gmt":"2020-06-19T02:09:58","slug":"god-as-he-is","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.holytrinityweb.com\/weekly\/god-as-he-is\/","title":{"rendered":"God. As He is."},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"God<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Some weeks ago in this space I mentioned a few \u201cmisconceptions\u201d we have about God. The first, and probably most misleading, is the subtle way we manipulate God into being what we want him to be. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s a good reason why we have this tendency. After all scripture tells us we were \u201cmade in the image and likeness of God.\u201d Genesis 2<\/a>. The apostle John tells us \u201cwe are God\u2019s children\u201d. Jesus tells us to call God our \u201cFather\u201d. All these lead us to faith in God who is a \u201cperson\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, we are made in GOD\u2019S <\/strong>image, we\u2019re \u201clike\u201d\nGod. The gifts of intellect, freedom, and will make\nus into \u201cpersons\u201d. He created us \u201clike\u201d him because\nhe wanted to have a relationship with his creation\nthat was personal and capable of love.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps the most powerful affirmation of God being \u201clike us\u201d is in the very words of Jesus. When asked by Philip, \u201cLord, show us the Father.\u201d Jesus said, \u201cPhilip, when you see me you see the Father. For the Father is in me and I in the Father.\u201d John 14:8<\/a> No wonder we start thinking \u201cGod is like us\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, here\u2019s where we make our mistake. God is not\nmade in OUR <\/strong>image. He\u2019s God! But that\u2019s what we\nso often do… we think of God acting as we would\nact. And when it doesn\u2019t happen the way we want\n(when something seems \u201ctoo late\u201d, or \u201cnot\nenough\u201d, or \u201cmy wishful prayers go unanswered\u201d) .\n. . we start to think God just doesn\u2019t care. God is\nsilent.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This brings us to a very important fork in the road.\nWe can submit to the fact that, as creatures, we\nare given the privilege of knowing and loving God\nOR <\/strong>we can declare ourselves The Boss and be our\nown reason for existence.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back to Adam and Eve . . . what was their temptation? \u201cYou will become like God.\u201d said the serpent. They wanted a God \u201ctheir way\u201d, not as He truly is. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So what\u2019s the solution to this tension (my way or God\u2019s way)? It\u2019s Jesus Christ. In him, God\u2019s way becomes understandable and fully human. \u201cI am the way, the truth and the life\u201d, Jesus tells us. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My way or Christ\u2019s way? Many walk away at this point. There was a critical moment in Jesus\u2019s ministry when this very thing happened. He had just told the crowds that he is \u201cthe bread come down from heaven . . . the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world. . . . as a result of this many of his disciples would no longer accompany him.\u201d John Ch. 6 <\/a>(read it all). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus turns to the apostles and asks, \u201cDo you also\nwant to leave?\u201d What a moment! It\u2019s either go back\nto fishing and forget this Jesus OR SUBMIT <\/strong>to this\nman as holding the key to human life. Peter, bless\nhim, answers, \u201cLord to whom shall we go? You have\nthe words of eternal life.\u201d In other words . . . Lord\nthere\u2019s no words of eternal life.\u201d In other words . . .\nLord there\u2019s no one else. YOU <\/strong>are God\u2019s visitation to\nus.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The stakes are pretty high. This is God\u2019s way for me OR <\/strong>not. This is the one I will follow OR <\/strong>I\u2019ll find my own way. This is the moment of Faith. It\u2019s a moment of surrender to the mystery of God . . . as he is . . . not as I make him to be. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But remember, in the end, this is a surrender to\nlove. Jesus is the love of God. God\u2019s love took on\nhuman existence to be our brother, our shepherd,\nour door to eternal life.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dear God give us the grace to surrender to you just\nas you are. Just as we see you revealed in your Son\nJesus Christ.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t be afraid.
Fr Tim <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\"Facebook\"<\/a>\"twitter\"<\/a>\"linkedin\"<\/a>\"mail\"<\/a>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Some weeks ago in this space I mentioned a few \u201cmisconceptions\u201d we have about God. The first, and probably most misleading, is the subtle way we manipulate God into being what we want him to be. There\u2019s a good reason why we have this tendency. After all scripture tells us we were \u201cmade in the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","_price":"","_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"0","_ticket_start_date":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":false,"_tribe_ticket_use_global_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_global_stock_level":"","_global_stock_mode":"","_global_stock_cap":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_going_count":"","_tribe_ticket_not_going_count":"","_tribe_tickets_list":"[]","_tribe_ticket_has_attendee_info_fields":false,"_vp_format_video_url":"","_vp_image_focal_point":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6654","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-weekly-column"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.holytrinityweb.com\/weekly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6654","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.holytrinityweb.com\/weekly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.holytrinityweb.com\/weekly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.holytrinityweb.com\/weekly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.holytrinityweb.com\/weekly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6654"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.holytrinityweb.com\/weekly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6654\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6663,"href":"https:\/\/www.holytrinityweb.com\/weekly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6654\/revisions\/6663"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.holytrinityweb.com\/weekly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6654"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.holytrinityweb.com\/weekly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6654"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.holytrinityweb.com\/weekly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6654"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}