Last time, I wrote about the fact that there are many people who state that they don’t believe in God. However, when faced with an overwhelming circumstance, they may find themselves praying to . . . someone, as they know the obstacle they face is bigger than they can handle. As is often the case, their issue of shaky or questionable belief may have nothing to do with the available evidence. I want to look today at some of the other issues that can be factors in their journey.
For some, resistance to belief in God has more to do with not wanting to feel that they are being told what to do. They may not want to follow principles that would guide them into living a life that pleases God. So, if they simply dismiss God, then they don’t have to be bothered by the nuisance of things like the Ten Commandments or any other instructions from scripture. They are free to do what they want, where they want, when they want. And they believe that can do so guilt free. And to a point, they can.
However, with no anchors to guide them, they miss out on the benefits of a relationship with the Creator, and the peace that can come with that. These individuals often work very hard to prove themselves – that they are “good enough.” But that is virtually impossible to do because without a standard they are comparing themselves to an ever-moving and ever-changing target. This can be both exhausting and depressing. To stop desperately clawing to be “good enough” can be scary. But God offers grace, forgiveness, and a love that will envelope us if we are willing to give up the fight to do things our way. Because doing things “our way” in a world created by a living God, rarely works out. But surrendering to love – is a far better choice. Those of us who are God-followers, need to do a better job of demonstrating that love.
Next time we will look at other issues of seeming disbelief.