It's Not God's Problem
Last night as I was paying bills, I realized that after I pay my rent there will be $400 in my bank account and I have $500 worth of bills left. That doesn’t include me needing to buy gas for my car or groceries. There are 11 days until my next paycheck.Then I thought, about a year a ago I would have stopped and prayed about this situation. I would have asked God to somehow miraculously bail me out. But that would be stupid. Even if God could do something about it (which he can’t)... he shouldn’t.
This is my problem not God’s.
posted by Steve at
9/25/2007
17 Comments:
I have those moments, too, when I think I should pray but then stop and realize that it would be pointless.
gotta break my blatical (a sabbatical from blogging...no particular reason) for this one.
I think we either completely submit to EVERYTHING that God is (or claims to be, if you prefer that language), and spend the rest of our lives being humbly greatful to Him who IS omni-everyhing...
Or, we just cut it out with the "God is this, God is that. He can do this, but He can't do that." business.
This is not brainless fundamentalism speaking. It's just simple logic. Either God is all that...or He doesn't exist. Everything in between is either an insult to OUR intelligence, or it's blasphemy.
Let's stop riding this fence of indicisive and non-committing cowardice, and just take a stand already.
BTW...this all applies to me first! I live in the finacial negative. I do not tithe (though I'd love to). However, I choose to try and not put limiatations on God, and I am striving to trust in Him more and more...even when it doesn't make "sense".
I hope none of this sounds condesending or antagonistic, because that's not my intent. This is one part self-realization, and one part observation/comment.
thanks
As Bart Simpson was praying that God would intervene so he would have an extra day to study and not have to repeat the 4th grade, Lisa Simpson sees him and says, "Prayer, the last refuge of a scoundrel." Been there, done that!
Actually, I'm glad you feel that way, 'cause I have Him busy finding me a sweet deal on an '08 Accord, and I don't need Him distracted.
hehehe
I'm with Dorsey...I have him looking for more clients for me...I'll add asking for your share of life's rewards to my prayer list. :)
Wow, I can't say that I agree with you on premise. I will just ask simply,
"How 's that workin out for ya?".
Steve - Instead of praying, try giving generously of yourself. When you have the money and the bills are paid, give away the rest. When the bills are too much, give your time and talent. 2 Corinthians 9:16-15 describes how God gives generously to those who give cheerfully.
This is a calling to leadership. When the bills are more than the income, it may be our own fault or it may not. Either way, the music of generosity is what Scripture says will lead us out of our debts. And if we are obedient to the call, we will gain friends who will pray for us with deep affection.
It is better to have friends praying for us, than to pray for ourselves.
So Steve, just what is it God can do for you? I believe everything we have comes from God. It's all His, not ours. I think you're getting a lesson from God in good stewardship. Yeah, I know, you probably wanna hear that about as much as I like hearing "praying would be stupid and God can't help me with this." You'll learn from this experience and learn what not to do with your finances in the future. So is that an example of you fixing the situation yourself or God leading you to make a change in your life as you serve Him?
Then I thought, about a year a ago I would have stopped and prayed about this situation. I would have asked God to somehow miraculously bail me out. But that would be stupid.
You're right. That would be stupid. Not stupid because He can't/won't bail you out. But stupid because you'd be asking the wrong thing.
God has setup an economy. It includes:
- Giving (Luke 6:38, Phil 4:14-19)
- Asking (Mt. 7:7)
- Seeking Him (Mt. 6:25-33)
Ultimately, God's economy deals with the inward man more than the outward. "Bail me out" is an outward, quick-fix that pretty-much guarantees that we'll eventually be in that situation again.
Why not pray, "Give me wisdom" (see James 1 & Proverbs 3, 4). That's the prayer God wants to answer-- the one that gets to the root of the problem.
Unfortunately, we go to God, constantly asking Him to bail us out. All-the-while, He wants us to just ask Him for wisdom.
So we keep praying selfish, outward prayers, and get no real answers.
The "logical" conclusion isn't "We're praying wrong". No, we simply assume that God doesn't answer prayer. And if He's not answering, maybe He doesn't exist at all... all because we refuse to do what He asked, by seeking Him & His heart through prayer or time in scripture.
I still pray when I run out of money. Its my fault. My problem. But I still think God loves me and will save my ass. If not, whats the harm in praying. Though he always has and I have done some really stupid things.
Though a good Churchianity person would say you brought it on yourself by not tithing.
"He shouldn't" ... well I guess you're the best judge of that one. But isn't that the perfect definition of grace? Maybe my father in law shouldn't have helped us get our new washing machine last year, or my sister shouldn't have written off her loan for my car, or maybe I shouldn't have been on the receiving end of all the other acts of kindness & generosity I've experienced over the years. And maybe the father in Luke 15 shouldn't have been so extravagant with his son.
"He can't" ... yes He can!
send me an email with your address so i can send you some cash.
The Pete ftw!
You guys are right ... it is Steve's fault!!!!! He should be budgeting better. A prayer from a sinner like him would only prove his inward decay. He needs to let go and let god work wonders in his life. He needs to give more of himself so he can get more from god. He needs to hide his selfish desire to pay bills behind god's selfless skirt.
Hey Pete!!!! Thanks for offering steve money .... but he doesn't need it. All he really needs are your prayers!!!! At least yours count for something!!! Hey, while your at it ... can you send up some prayers for me? Because I am living proof that prayer is not effective. Even as a devoted believer my prayers feel on deaf ears. And now as question everything ... well ... I am shit out of luck.
The cup was not taken from the lips of Christ either. Not getting every prayer answered the way you wish it too is just another part of faith.
Last night as I was paying bills, I realized that after I pay my rent there will be $400 in my bank account and I have $500 worth of bills left.
Dude, I've had whole years like that. Being on the other side of that particular valley of darkness, I have nothing more enlightening to say than this: Not being able to pay your bills sucks the ass out of a rhino.
Hang in there Steve, and don't be afraid to reach out if it looks like some real damage is headed your way. I did that too. That was more like giving the rhino a rim job.
"God is all that...or He doesn't exist"
To this, I ask, why? Who's to say a god we worship is even our creator? Because some old book says so? For most of human history, people didn't believe that one entity created everything. This is a rather new and considerably artifacial belief that cropped up in the past 2000 or so years. Heck, even the Hebrews weren't monothesistic until their country was destroyed and all priesthoods of the other gods they worshipped didn't survive into the "restored" nation. (The only two priesthoods to survive where those of Moses followers and Aaron followers, and of those, only the Aaron guys remained in power over what became the faith...and if any of the Ba'al or Marmaduke followers survived, I'm sure the bible would've taken on a very different form, if any at all.) but I digress lol
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