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My husband is traveling a lot this month and next. He said something intriguing to me today. He said that with all the traveling he is doing and how much he hates being away from home this much, that there is an awareness that God is Sovereign–even in this situation, with lots of traveling–and my husband finds rest in that fact.
Interesting. Especially given the things I have been pondering lately.
God is sovereign. Scripture (and at least one really awesome pastor that I admire and respect) teaches that God is Lord of All…EVERYTHING. Everything happens because He ordains it–not allows it like it is something He isn’t happy about, but then acquiesces, saying: “Ok, I will give in…I guess I will permit that.”
The fall in Genesis 3 didn’t take God by surprise. He didn’t just “allow” it. There were no “oopsie doo” mistakes. Maybe Genesis 3 happened because, well…it was supposed to.
Consider that we are often told in hymns and sermons that Jesus was slain for our sins before the foundation of the world. Have you ever wondered what that means? I think it may mean (at least in part) that God determined that redemption would be His primary plan–not His “backup” plan. He ordained we would live in a “Genesis 3 World,” with all of it’s so-called imperfections, sin, challenges–and might I be so bold as to say that he ordained this would happen even with an Enemy who would seek to steal, kill and destroy. He planned this for us so that we might choose *Him* in the midst of it all. That we might be conformed to the image of Christ as we walked the path of suffering. Our choosing him would be that much more glorious and beautiful. Our conformation to the image of Christ that much more amazing in light of the influences we would have pressing in on us. What a glorious thing for people who are assaulted by the reality of sin and grief to nevertheless reach for God in the midst of it all–to choose HIM even when it makes no earthly or common sense.
So what? LOL!
Well, in light of this, maybe I need to flow with Him and His purposes for ordaining this circumstance, situation–or just my life generally. Living in a Genesis 3 world is precisely how he expects me to be conformed to the image of Christ and to glorify Him. Am I striving against God and His purposes when I moan about what I want–the perfect world I hope to see? Maybe “fixing” things–even with a godly desire as my primary motivator–is really another way of rejecting God’s ordained plan. I can’t really fix anything anyhow.
If I consider this Genesis 3 world a God-ordained opportunity to be conformed to the image of Christ and to glorify God, if I consider my life as nothing if it isn’t doing that, then contentment might follow. 🙂 Rest and peace might, too. Just as it does for my husband as he considers the reality of his travel schedule. Maybe a lot of the churning I experience is because I refuse to surrender to the God of Genesis 3–no, not to sin, but to the world that God has ordained.
I can hear some objections to this blog right now. To be honest, I can even verbalize objections myself. I am grappling with a lot of the implications of these things…I hope to unpack some of those things in the days ahead–especially as it relates to any way in which I try to exert “control” over my world. (Hint: This relates for many of us–including me–directly to food and body issues!)
