The things that make me laugh, weep, and live.
Or what?
Published on April 2, 2004 By Shulamite In Religion
"Isn't it better to view God as just doing the best he can?" Stevendalus asks.

The parent's role is one that mirror's God's role to us, right? Follow me... I know a reason I have to make sure my daughter obeys when I tell her to do something is for more than just safety reasons; its for security reasons. That is to say, if she knows and understands I'm in control of her and her life, I'm then in control of her world. If she views me as strong and commanding, she experiences less fear for the unknown ... like the dark or strangers or whathaveyou. She's SECURE in the fact that I can take care of her, protect her, and control frightening experiences. She's therefore freer to step out in faith and take healthy risks within the structure of my protection and will for her because she seeks my blessings and enjoys my security.

If my daughter instead viewed me as "doing the best I can" that necessarily means she takes pity, sympathy, on me and has compassion for me. She puts herself in my shoes and worries about me. She may either feel like she has to protect me or that she has to take care of herself alone. She obviously cannot fully trust me without viewing it through a sympathetic lens, right? She "takes me with a grain of salt." She sees me as weak and wishy washy. She's not secure in my protection or my will for her. She doesn't trust me to help her make good decisions.

Do I want her viewing me as a strong woman, a leader, an assertive person with my beliefs & morals, and someone who stands up for justice, gives mercy, loves with abandon, and is fiercely loyal, wise, and trustworthy? YES. I don't want to be the opposite. I want her to say one day, "My mother was amazing. She always did the right thing or apologized when wrong. She had compassion on people without compromising morals. She expected excellence from me and always helped me. She taught me right from wrong and loved me without fail."

God is a strong God. He's the one who does not fail. He keeps his promises. He keeps the universe moving so perfectly we can set our clocks by it. He has set the fractal in nature -- the mathematical formula so inherent in our lives Jackson Pollack couldn't help but paint it in his masterful works of splattering paint. (He became increasingly accurate with each painting.) The golden ratio is the spiral you see in ram's horns, sea shells (nautillus, conch, et cetera), pine cones, pineapples, and even the grass in africa's growing patter to name a few places. That's the tangible outcome of God's fractal.

No, this isn't the portrait of a God doing the best he can. This is the portrait of a God whose will is unsearchable, whose will we'll not understand until the day we're united with him fully, without the world and sin between us. This is the God who is bigger than I can imagine. If I could imagine him accurately, He'd not be greater than me. Isaiah tells us God asks the question, "Can you imagine me without diminishing me?"

"For a mere moment I have forsaken you, but with great mercies I will gather you. With a little wrath I hid my face from you for a moment; But with everylasting kindness I will have mercy on you," says the Lord, your redeemer. Isaiah 54:7-8

Comments
on Apr 02, 2004
Is God Just Doing the Best He Can?

That's the question, right? The answer is yes, no need for some big long blog about it.

~Dan
on Apr 02, 2004
I may be wrong, but wouldn't your faith command you to define God's best as whatever he 'does'? Does he slack off?

I can't help but seeing you as the child, worried about the unknown. Believe whatever you want, its all in your head. Would it even be possible for you to believe that God wasn't pulling for you?

I see you are a person of strong faith, and probably a healthy and cool-headed one at that, but I cannot restrain my disdain for such casting about for answers where there are none to be found.

Do your best for you daughter and know that is what matters, not your rationalizations for you beliefs.
on Apr 02, 2004
I may be wrong, but wouldn't your faith command you to define God's best as whatever he 'does'? Does he slack off?

I can't help but seeing you as the child, worried about the unknown. Believe whatever you want, its all in your head. Would it even be possible for you to believe that God wasn't pulling for you?

I see you are a person of strong faith, and probably a healthy and cool-headed one at that, but I cannot restrain my disdain for such casting about for answers where there are none to be found.

Do your best for you daughter and know that is what matters, not your rationalizations for you beliefs.
on Apr 02, 2004
holy smokes I can't believe the depths to which mortal humans will go in order to placate themselves and place the burden of blame for our screwed up planet upon God Himself! We have free will and free choice. Don't be blaming no God's for our problems.
on Apr 02, 2004
Dan -- I don't think you got what I was saying. Is he JUST doing all he is able... implying that he can't do anything but try to make things work right. It's my response to Stevendalus's article. Check that one out.

Everett -- I'm confused by your response. You ask me how I define God's best. Well I believe God is Holy, righteous, and pure -- so whatever he does is good. I don't think there is a best because there is no better, worse, or bad to compare it with. Mr. Stevendalus used "best" because he does believe that God can behave poorly.
You see me as worried about the future? I assure you I'm not in the slight bit worried about anything. I'm not sure how you got that. No I don't think it's possible to believe God isn't pulling for me. You say you cannot restrain your disdain for me casting for answers where there are none. But there are answers... They're in the Word and I referenced those. Perhaps some of my logic is the fruit of my vast reading and experience and I didn't reference every thought, and perhaps you missed me by that. Jesus says, "I am the Truth..." and he also says, "The Truth shall set you free," and he tells us before he ascended he's sending the Holy Spirit who will "teach us all things." How can you say there are no answers? And I agree with you -- I am doing what is right by my daughter and know it matters. But I differ with you after that; I'm not rationalizing my beliefs. I'm educating myself on what I believe and why and being ready to give an answer for my faith. That's Biblical too. I know why this stuff makes sense. Why would anyone be interested in the Truth if it couldn't be presented as such?

Miki--- I agree. I just don't have enough faith to be an atheist. I can't imagine putting the blame on God for our problems just so we can sleep at night... He's our rescuer.
on Apr 02, 2004
I thought this was a very nice artical and I also felt that Dan's comment was terribly rude and was surprised that this was coming from him as long as some of his articals that I have seen. I actually thought this artical was a good legnth. Not too short and not too long. Of course Dan is entitled to his opinion but still, theres no need to be ugly.
I especially liked the last part of the artical where it talks about imagining Him without deminishing Him. I've never really thought about this or read it but it certainly is deep. GCJ
on Apr 02, 2004
Amen sister.