Allow me to first say this: God's patience is infinite, and mine is not. I can't measure up to God and I have a short fuse for people who want to attack the glory of God.
Lately, I have seen so many people go to church or say that they are Christians and not live a single bit of it out. It is one thing to fall short, but it's another thing to not even want to be on the path. I have heard everything from, "God needs to give me what I want," to "God needs to be humble," from multiple people. I am always left in pure rage. I would say speechless, but scripture always comes to mind, such as Proverbs 16:5: "Everyone who is arrogant in his heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished." Or Galatians 6:3, "For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself."
Before I go on, ask yourself this. What does God owe you? "Well, I go to church every Sunday and Bible Study every Wednesday and Community Group every Monday and I go to all the church events and go to all of the charities and I help as a volunteer, and I'm always in the prayer group, etc. etc. etc." Great for you! That is wonderful! The church owes you a thank you; but what does God owe you? Allow me to tell you: nothing.
Asking God why He is messing up is like asking an Alaskan how they deal with all that heat. It just doesn't make sense. God breathed life into your body. God formed you in your mother's womb. God gave you elements to put a roof over your head, crops to put food on your table, a source of income to pay bills, and enough left over to have expenses such as internet and cell phones and transportation; and you dare ask God to pay you back?
You wonder why your marriage won't work, why your job won't pull through, why your car isn't getting fixed, why school isn't getting less stressful, why your friends keep causing you drama, why the pain isn't going away? James 4:6 says, "But He gives more grace. Therefore it says, 'God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." Before you go to God with a list of reminders of all of the "good deeds" that you've done, tell me if any of those add up to this: God sending His only son, who is perfect and blameless in all ways, to be a poor Jewish boy who would be bullied, spit on, kicked, put down, driven out of cities, and tortured through the punishment given to only the scum of the Earth for the wrongs and the mess ups that YOU did. No amount of going to church can measure up to going to the cross; and no amount of charity work or good deeds could match up to living a life without sin and dying for someone else who would come to you and say that you owe them something.
Does hearing this make you feel bad? Do you not like the guilt trip? No one does; but the truth isn't always warm and fuzzy. Until you can humble yourself enough to realize that Jesus is the King upon the throne who died for you, and you are the sinner who has broken His rules, you cannot go anywhere with God. He opposes the proud! Until you stop trying to be bigger than God, and realize that you have no power or authority in His court you will continue to suffer by the hands of your own arrogance while God waits patiently for you to come with a humble heart. It is not about making you feel bad, it is about always remembering who is greatest and where we stand with Him. Once you come in humility and patience and seek His face, He will reward you for being a faithful servant and be gracious towards you.
-D
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