What is just as dangerous as making God too small?
Making God too big.
We often emphasize the problem of making God smaller than we should. But what about when we perceive God as too great for life's boring or trivial problems? The problems that worm their way into our day-to-day routine and make themselves at home there. They're not seasonal and debilitating, yet they're equally threatening to our pursuit of Christ. They center on the minutiae of life, so we self-manage or quickly dismiss them, ultimately considering them unworthy of prayer or God's attention.
I would say we're selling the work of our God short, but in this case we're selling it harmfully long. It's an awkward, if not impossible, concept to say the least: God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omni-present. God will always be bigger than we can imagine. And this is likely what makes this specific limitation particularly dangerous; we never realized this limitation even existed. At least this is true for me.
(In reality we can't make God anything--whether big or small. In this instance, I'm not referring to God's qualities, which are unchanging and wholly independent of our response. I'm instead referring to how we perceive and limit God's work in our lives.)
I'm afraid I've incorrectly perceived God as too big to be personal or concerned with the details of my life. Maybe you relate. So let me remind you: God is just as much a God of the micro as a God of the macro.
We serve a Savior who daily bears our burdens.
We worship the Lord who demonstrated mindfulness and care toward us when He made us rulers over the work of His hands.
We pursue the God who commands us to cast all our cares on Him regardless of degree.
Right now, God is exposing and freeing me of limits on my faith. I pray this is true for you.
Making God too big.
We often emphasize the problem of making God smaller than we should. But what about when we perceive God as too great for life's boring or trivial problems? The problems that worm their way into our day-to-day routine and make themselves at home there. They're not seasonal and debilitating, yet they're equally threatening to our pursuit of Christ. They center on the minutiae of life, so we self-manage or quickly dismiss them, ultimately considering them unworthy of prayer or God's attention.
I would say we're selling the work of our God short, but in this case we're selling it harmfully long. It's an awkward, if not impossible, concept to say the least: God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omni-present. God will always be bigger than we can imagine. And this is likely what makes this specific limitation particularly dangerous; we never realized this limitation even existed. At least this is true for me.
(In reality we can't make God anything--whether big or small. In this instance, I'm not referring to God's qualities, which are unchanging and wholly independent of our response. I'm instead referring to how we perceive and limit God's work in our lives.)
I'm afraid I've incorrectly perceived God as too big to be personal or concerned with the details of my life. Maybe you relate. So let me remind you: God is just as much a God of the micro as a God of the macro.
We serve a Savior who daily bears our burdens.
We worship the Lord who demonstrated mindfulness and care toward us when He made us rulers over the work of His hands.
We pursue the God who commands us to cast all our cares on Him regardless of degree.
Right now, God is exposing and freeing me of limits on my faith. I pray this is true for you.
"Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens." (Psalm 68:19 NIV).
"When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet." (Psalm 8:3-6 NIV).
"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7 NIV).
"When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet." (Psalm 8:3-6 NIV).
"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7 NIV).
My current obsession. Who doesn't love a blonde? ;)
Much love to you,
Paige
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