The last two years have reminded us of many things, among them is the unmistakable reality that we all have authorities that we answer to in life. Whether it be the civil authority (government), educational authority (teachers), job authority (“boss”), etc., etc. For better or worse, we are entangled with people to whom we answer. More than that, there are even times we seek out and submit ourselves to certain authorities. For example, we submit to a mechanic that we believe will fix a broken car or a doctor to cure an ailing body. In both instances, we submit to people who are specialists in order to have a better life. Who doesn’t want to have a good, healthy, and productive life? In this regard, who wouldn’t want a specialist that provides meaning for living, shapes how we are to understand events in life, and act as an unshakable guide in everyday decisions? Let’s call this type of authority a “life authority.”
Life Authority
When it comes to this category, our options are minimal. Given the focal point of providing or maximizing “life,” the source must have a proven track record. The source must be time-tested with examples of people finding meaning for their lives, providing rock-solid insight for decision-making, and wisdom in relating to others. Each of these areas must be within its power and scope for the source to be a genuine “life authority.” Given these qualifications, our options for a life authority are reduced to a singular source, God.
Go Big or Go Home?
There is only one problem… and, at first glance, it is enormous. I can’t talk to God. I can’t email, call, text, and He doesn’t have a podcast to which I can subscribe. While talking to God would be ideal, I think this medium might also create a new problem… how do I KNOW it is God speaking? A blinding light or a booming voice might inspire, but couldn’t those be manufactured? Wouldn’t you be susceptible to questioning whether or not you were on a spiritual Truman Show? At first glance, a heavenly beam of light or thunderous celestial voice would motivate, but I don’t think that it (on its own) would be as helpful as we might think. Why? How often would the voice be required? If your life is like mine, you need guidance a lot. So how many times a day would the booming voice or blinding light be required? 5? 10? 20? More? Imagine your neighbor’s reaction to all the light and noise? What about all the other people who will require the same stimuli? The world would be transformed into an enormous rock show with continual sonic booms and flashes of light.
Where do I go from here?
Better than a booming voice and a blinding light, we have the self-disclosure of God as He interacted with people for some 3800 years. When you take a serious look at the Bible, it quickly reveals the content of who God is, who we are, and how life was designed to be lived. These truths are not presented in one enormous, majestic display in the sky but are revealed through God interacting with people over time. As a matter of fact, as God interacts with people, some embrace His authority, others resist, and still, others reject His authority entirely. I have been convinced that the Bible is God’s self-disclosure, a source that answers all the “big ticket” issues of life, but what about you? If God is the only one qualified to be a life authority, why not “kick the tires” and see what He has to say?
Where do I start?
The Bible is a big book with truckloads of information. But that makes sense given the length of time it deals with and the subject matter involved. Therefore, I recommend starting with examining the life of Jesus. Why? As John said, Jesus is a shortcut in getting to know who God is and how He relates to humanity:
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14).
Therefore, if you want to know who God is, start with Jesus – the God/man who perfectly represents God in who He is and what He did. Don’t know if you can buy that? Have you examined the evidence? Given the stakes, you have everything to gain. When I was 19, full of questions and brimming with doubt, I am glad someone was able and willing to answer my questions. Now I can’t imagine living life without Jesus as my life authority. If you have a friend, neighbor, or coworker who is a follower of Jesus, why not ask them the questions that you have? If that is too uncomfortable, I would love to help in the journey, just let me know. Let’s grab a cup of coffee and explore this subject. BTW. The coffee is on me. Let me know at hello@forGodsfame.org. At the very least, you get a free cup of coffee! Let’s talk.
Good stuff Pastor Dan…looking forward to more of these.
Pastor Dan.
For the past 6 months, I have prayed, read books and prayed some more, asking for guidence and for how to present the gospel to our neighbors, David & Jackie who are devout atheists. That said, I believe your free coffee is, in fact, God’s miraculous, answer to my prayers,
I honestly don’t have the words to express how much I’m looking forward to having coffee with you.
Reg, let’s do it. Email me at Dan.miller@forGodsfame.Org and we can set it up. Looking forward to it as well.
“While talking to God would be ideal, I think this medium might also create a new problem… how do I KNOW it is God speaking? A blinding light or a booming voice might inspire, but couldn’t those be manufactured?”
Jesus is absolutely vital to being able to even approach the Father. (John 14:6). He also indicates the importance of us remaining in Him and allowing His word to remain in us. (John 15:7). When His word remains in us and the Spirit of truth guides us into all truth, He will show us what is to come (which sometimes includes what we are to do), and we will recognize it as coming from God. (John 16:13, John 10:4-5, 27). Remember that God’s people perish for lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6), so it is important to remain in the Word and follow Him, so you will know His voice (which for me does not involve blinding light nor a booming voice, but a thought that is NOT my own and consistent with the word of God).
One other caveat is to check out scripture if you get a feeling that there is something that doesn’t quite seem right, because I have been reminded by the Holy Spirit that the enemy knows Scripture too, but will leave out context. When I checked out the Scripture, it helped me to see that the enemy did not want me witnessing to someone and tried to use Matthew 10:14 to get me to stop sharing whatever He was providing for me to share, but upon reading the Scripture and sharing with my coworker the temptation I had to shake the dust off my feet, my coworker apologized for saying anything blasphemous and let me know he was willing to hear, so I did not stop sharing whatever God provided before my co-worker’s contract ran out and he left the company. My point is that the Holy Spirit will even let us know when the enemy is trying to use Scripture out of context, and He will continue to lead us into truth and not fear, because greater is He Who is in us, than he who is in the world.
Dan, I miss Grace Fellowship and am thankful for the podcasts and the blog to check in on the fellowship. I wanted to weigh in on this because I believe that God does speak to His people in a variety of ways, and for those of us who have been led by the Spirit of God to be corrected, encouraged, exhorted or even to speak truth to those who may not hear from Him, I wanted to share what He has taught me. I do not fear misinterpreting Him as long as I fear Him. Fearing Him alone keeps me near to Him, because I am a mess without Him. ;). Thanks for your faithful service to the church!
Rose, thanks for checking in! We miss you as well. I too am so thankful for the Word and the Spirit to guide us into the truth we need for life! Good point that the key is to want His will over our own – the value of fearing Him, of placing His will over my “want.”