|
Perhaps
you have heard statements such as: “Who died and left you boss?”
“Who do you think you are?” “Who are you to criticize me?” “Who made
you God?”
We
often hear such responses when someone thinks we have stepped over
our bounds. It is as though people are saying who do you think you
are to scrutinize me?
People
scrutinize other people for a variety of reasons. One is to make
them feel better about themselves. It is easier to feel better about
yourself by tearing someone else down than by taking an honest hard
look in the mirror. Another is that it is a lot less painful
pointing out the faults of others then to admitting one’s own
faults. Another is that some people have been raised with criticism
so that they know no other way.
I wonder what the
real motivation behind Job’s three friends going to him when his
life came crashing in. Were they really there to comfort and
encourage him? Did it ever cross your mind that maybe they were
envious of high and mighty Job. Nothing would bring them more
pleasure than to hear perfect boy, Job admit that he had sinned and
that God was justified to bring such suffering upon himself. While
it appears that they were trying to coax a confession out of him. It
certainly appears to me that they were doing some very serious
scrutinizing of Job’s life much like we do when it comes to the
world of sports.
When
the Yankees lost in the first round of playoffs this year I heard
people expressing joy, not because they weren’t Yankee fans, but
because it gave them great joy to see the owner George Steinbrenner
spend all the millions of dollars he did to buy a world series and
fail.
Up
until last game of the National League Championship Series the
sports commentators were singing Met manager Willie Randolph’s
praises for all the right managerial moves he was making. After the
Mets lost game seven and the series those same broadcasters was
scrutinizing his every call in game seven.
We
have a habit of doing what is called Monday morning quarterbacking.
When we analysis every play of the previous game. If you are doing
this to learn from your mistakes that is one thing. Unfortunately
this is not always the case. Often the Monday morning quarterbacking
is done in order to point the finger of blame at someone.
I
wonder if the sports fans and analysts are so good, why are they
sitting behind a booth or hiding behind a radio and not on the
sideline or in the dugout coaching.
Sadly
we don’t stop our scrutinizing even when it comes to God.
A
little girl crawled up into her great-grandmother’s lap. Looking
into her great-grandmother’s face she saw all the crevices, lines
and wrinkles. Then she felt her own smooth skin.
She said to her great-grandmother, “Did God make you?”
Her great-grandmother said, “Yes, honey God made me.”
Then the little girl asked, “Did God make me?”
Her great-grandmother said, “Oh yes, God made you too.”
Then the little girl said, “Well great-grandmother, don’t you think
God’s doing a lot better job these days?”
Unfortunately
all our scrutinizing isn’t as sweet and innocent as this. Sadly we
often treat God in the same vain way we treat others. When Katrina
devastated the south and in particular the city of New Orleans
people wondered why would God allow such a thing to happen? What I
don’t understand is why don’t we scrutinize the wisdom in building a
city on land that is below sea level in the first place?
Yes,
it seems normal that we scrutinize God when it comes to sickness,
pain, suffering, world hunger, war, etc. We scrutinize God to the
point that we almost demand an answer from God. Have you ever
stopped to think maybe God has the exact same question for us?
That
is what chapter 38 of Job is all about. When Job called God on the
carpet demanding an explanation, God answered. God’s answer was not
a detailed theological and scientific treatise complete with data,
charts and teaching points. God answers Job’s litany of questions
with questions of His own? “Where were you when I laid the earth’s
foundation? Who marked off its dimensions? Who stretched a measuring
line across it?
Psalm
104 is God’s version of power point. It is a hymn of praise to God
for His majestic power in making, sustaining and ruling
providentially over all creation.
Look
at the creation story in Genesis. After every act of creation God
declares, “It was good.” It did not matter whether God was talking
about the land, the water, the sun, the moon, the vegetation, the
birds, the fish, or the animals. The exception was when God created
man. Then God said, “It was very good.”
Yet
we ask God, “What happened?” Perhaps it is God who should be saying,
“You tell me.”
We
must always remember God is the potter and we are the clay. The clay
never tells the potter what to make.
The
famous French sculptor Auguste Rodin created a pair of statues that
he placed side by side in an exhibit. The first statue is made of
smooth marble, with soft, sleek lines. It portrays a human figure
cradled in a gently cupped hand, complacent and relaxed. The second
statue is rough, active and powerful. The fingers of the hand are
raising a conscious human figure, carrying it upward.
Rodin
called the first work ‘The Hand of the Devil.’ He called the second
one ‘The Hand of God.’ His imagery makes it clear that it is satan
who tempts us to complacency and spiritual laziness, while God’s
care challenges and uplifts us in the midst of suffering.
God
never promised a life of ease, yet when we open our view of things
to include God’s view, to look at life through His eyes, His Word,
His Spirit we will see God’s creative power being unleashed in our
lives.
Life
doesn’t make sense at times. Life doesn’t seen fair at times.
Instead of blaming God or scrutinizing God when life doesn’t make
sense, embrace God. Proverbs 3:5
“Trust in the
Lord with all of your heart
and lean not on your own understanding.”
When
we trust God instead of scrutinizing God we are content in knowing
that,
“All things work
together for good
for those who love God.”
 |
