The Shack

I am reading this wonderful book right now called, "The Shack" by Wm. Young. It is a book about tragedy confronting eternity, and it shows a different perspective about God and why bad things happen to good people. We are sometimes so quick to judge what kind of God would let this or that happen, and quick to ask where was God in our tragedy, and this book has challenged me to see a different side of this dilemma.

There is one part in the book where Mack is told he must be the judge and decide who should receive justice. He soon discovers that who he is judging is his own children. He must decide which 2 get to go to heaven and the others would be condemned to hell. Now even if we have one of our kids giving us a hard time, or they are acting out...not one of us would give up on them and send them to hell. So why are we so quick to judge God, when he isn't so quick to condemn one of his children who is doing wrong? I never thought of it that way before.

Another point that the book makes is how we judge others if their walk is not the same as ours or what we think "Christianity" should be. Just because you believe something firmly doesn't make it true. Be willing to examine what you believe. I have had issues with this for a while. Being of the Christian faith, I think sometimes people get caught up in "works" and if they/you are doing enough works. I also see that people are so stuck in the "law" that they miss something more important. The Bible is not so much the "law" as it is a picture of Jesus. Paul tells us that we die by the law, and Jesus came to free us from that unattainable task, because none of us are good enough or can do enough to deserve His grace.

Don't get me wrong...I believe that baptism, communion, and fellowship are essential parts of what God wants us to do. I just happen to believe that if you teach people how to get to know God, see him intimately in their lives, and to know that He is alive and living in us....you won't have to be preaching to anyone that they need to do more, or keep track of their attendance, etc. They will have such a hunger for God, that you won't be able to keep them away, and you will have a church full of people who can't get enough of Him. All the other stuff will fall into place. We really need to be careful that we do not be a judge for God. Who gave us the right to do that, and isn't it pompous and arrogant to do so? If we love people like Jesus, and have true fruits of the Spirit, then people are gonna want to find out more about what we have in our life that makes us so much different, and they won't feel judged and condemned by the congregation when they hear about grace and forgiveness from the pulpit. That is like sending mixed messages. I feel if we love them like Jesus, minister to their needs, and start trying to draw closer to him in our own Bible study time...all the work will be done, because people will love the Lord so much that they will not be able to genuinely do enough or get close enough to Him. So many burden themselves with all the work and stretch themselves out so thin, that the work becomes a chore...and they really don't have time to just commune with Christ. Preparing for lessons becomes a job, serving others becomes a duty, people become resentful, and that resentment is evident in their life and actions. It is a poison that consumes and destroys rather than shows the love and grace of Christ.