A Lie and a Half
I don't remember where exactly I heard this from but I cringed when I did.
I felt a cringe in my soul. Every part of my being said hard pass. I felt my eyebrows furrow and my lip turn up in disgust. I tried to hide it because I didn't want to be rude.
As the TikTokers say, this is an ick.
It felt wrong, like I was being lied to, but I don't think they meant to deceive me. I think they genuinely believed their own words. Nothing like some half truths to help soothe you in your pain I guess.
So here's what they said. I'm still cringing as I write this.
God did a miracle. Look at how much God loves me.
You might not read that the same way I do, so I'll tell you where I'm coming from.
I'm a big linguistic nerd, right? So semantics is really important to me, the meaning behind the words people say and what they don't say.
So, for example, if someone says, "the sky is blue," it also means that the sky is not green, red, black, or brown. It is just blue. Simple.
If someone says, "I'm tired," it infers that they need rest, they didn't have enough sleep, or that something caused them to feel that way, right?
Okay, so back to the ick.
If God doing a miracle is evidence that God loves you, what if he didn't do the miracle? Would the second statement still apply?
What if God doesn't heal? What if God doesn't restore a relationship? What if God doesn't answer your prayer? Does that mean God doesn't love you that much?
That statement is an ick for me because I hate when we (me included) tie God's character and goodness to our own personal measurements. If God is God, there's no way he would fit into our own personal expectations. He's beyond them.
Okay, before I lose you, I'm just gonna out myself here. That statement sounds like a thought distortion to me. And here's what it reminds me of.
My husband didn't answer my call. Look at how little of a priority I am to him.
My friend didn't respond to my text after reading it. Look at how mad she is at me for what I wrote.
The salesperson didn't say you're welcome. Look at how rude and inconsiderate of a person he is.
Ick x 1000. Thought distortions, unrealistic expectations, self-centred logic and ridiculous attempts at mind-reading. We lose perspective when we choose to focus on ourselves. We don't see that there's a whole other angle of looking at the situation.
In the case of God, if he's this all-powerful, all-knowing, ever-present being, how could we ever expect to have a good grasp on the "grand scheme of things"?
If God does a miracle in your life, I don't believe that it's to prove that he loves you. And if God doesn't do a miracle in your life, I don't believe it shows how little he loves you either.
God gave his only Son. For God so loved the world.
I don't think there's anywhere in the bible that says God does something out of love except for when he sends Jesus to live as a human and die on the cross.
I think we need to be careful to realize that when we tie God's "performance" to his character, we're imposing the way we look at others on God. I don't think that we can measure God's love based on answered prayers, good things happening, or blessings we can count.
So think about this: God didn't do a miracle. Look at how much God loves me.
This tiny change gives us so much more perspective. It breaks the dependency the second statement would have had on the first. Unless you're trying to be ironic, this example makes you realize that there isn't a strong inference between the two statements.
Look.
Looking at the fact that God didn't do a miracle doesn't make sense. So you're forced to look beyond that first statement at what did happen, something that demonstrates God's love in a way that can't be argued against or denied. A factual, historical moment.
That's the cross. That's the free gift of salvation for you and me. The opportunity for eternal life, for redemption. For absolute joy, peace and assurance.
Look at that. That's how you'll really know how much God loves you.
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