An Everything God

Basing all actions and outlooks on Scripture is not only possible, but is absolutely necessary. Every decision, every activity, can be firmly rooted in the belief that God not only cares about that decision or activity, but desires to direct it and be involved in it on a personal level.

Our outlook and perspective on the principles and convictions of everyday life define our outlook and perspective of God Himself. So many times, Christians draw a nice little box that holds all their beliefs and tenets: Saturday or Sunday? Sprinkling or dunking? Wine or grape juice? Piano or a cappella? Culture or convent? The debates rage, with believers drawing their lines in the sand and staunchly declaring, "This, and no other."

I firmly believe that Biblically based living is necessary and vital. If I do not and cannot live my life according to God's work of redemption in me, it ceases to have substantive significance in my life.

The moment, however, that I draw a line in the sand and state that this particular set of convictions are based on Scripture, and that every other perspective falls outside the realm of Biblical basis, I confine my estimation of God to the same lines in the sand.

Part of this discussion, I suppose, boils down to a definition of terms and an application of those terms to daily life. There are the commands of Scripture: the "Thou Shalts" and the "Thou Shalt Nots"; the ones that amount to "This, and none other" from the mouth of God Himself. These commands are more than lines drawn in the sand. They are the immovable walls of the Bible, built on the bedrock foundation of Christ Himself. Conversely, there are the convictions based on Scripture: The working of God in and through the individual life of a believer, revealing an aspect of Himself through the application of that conviction. To say that one size fits all goes against the nature and wildness--the awesome greatness--of God.

The best illustration that comes to mind is C.S. Lewis's "The Chronicles of Narnia" series. When describing the great lion Aslan, Beaver declared that Aslan was not a time lion. He went on to say, " 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good."

Not a tame lion. Neither is our King of the Universe measurable, definable, or understandable. My outlook on God and His place in the world is communicated through my personal culture. Conversely, my personal culture is a reflection of my relationship with God and how I understand HIm to be at work in the world.

As I stop and evaluate my own little lines in the sand, I realize that I, too, fall into the trap of viewing life from my set of convictions and beliefs and background in my little corner of the world, rather than trying to see it from God's perspective. Have you created a god that fits in your own little box, or do you passionately believe--and order your life by the belief--that our God is an awesome God?

"For the Lord Most High excites terror, awe, and dread; He is a great King over all the earth. . .Let them confess and praise Your great name, awesome and reverence inspiring! It is holy, and holy is He!" (Psalm 47:2, 99:3, Amplified)