Designing God

Lots of people design rooms, homes, lives; all sorts of things. I design software. Maybe you design gardens. Theoretically, someone even designed the University of Oregon's grotesque football uniforms!

Imagine if you could design god. Imagine you could make god be just the way you want.

Let's say you can. If so, here's an interesting question. How would you design god in the area of providing Love and Acceptance?

Would you design god in a manner that required you to jump through a lot of hoops before you could gain love and acceptance? Or would you design god to give you love and acceptance without the need to jump through hoops?

I thought I'd share an interesting nugget from last Sunday's sermon. It was a minor point made in a much bigger talk.. but one that made an impression on me.

"Christianity is the only religion in which
you gain acceptance from god before you demonstrate obedience.
In Christianity - we are not obedient to acquire acceptance or love.
We are obedient to get closer to God."

God's design for the world is encapsulated in 1 John 4:19 which states "We love (Him) because He first loved us" God chose plan B.. He gives first - without thinking about our response.

This puts verses like 1 Sam 15:22 into better perspective: "Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice". Sacrificing is giving up something that is prized by us. Obedience is responding to God in love. Sacrificing is 'doing something'. Obedience is 'being someone' - someone aligned with God. God may be interested in what you do. But, it seems clear He is more interested in who you are - and in being in relationship with you. He demonstrates that by 'showing up' in the relationship without regard to how we behave.

Have a great day knowing that God chooses to love and accept you just as you are.