God is Great

I can tend to be a very insecure person, made worse by times of stress or illness. Something in me seems wired to embrace most fully, and obsess over, my failures and flubs instead of my successes. As soon as I have a bad day, or a bad week, or a bad season, I tend to fear that my reputation is ruined forever, that no one will remember anything good about me, that I'll never get a second chance (or maybe, I've already had one, and I just blew that, too). 

On my best days, I can remember that this mindset is a lie. That it's a byproduct of some of the experiences that I've had in my life. That I don't consciously choose it, but I can consciously choose against it because it's simply not true. Reasonable, rational human beings do not simply start despising you because you had a bad day; they are capable of holding more in their memory of you than your last worst moment. 

But I confess that our culture doesn't really help much, either. We live in a world so set on division. On judgment. On calling each other out and calling it "honest" or whatever. We're "being real," and what we're "being real" about is that you're an idiot, a failure, a moron, a danger to society, whatever. A quick read through nearly any comment section reminds us that too many of us are more willing to speak a word of hate, division, rejection, or judgment than support or encouragement. 

And, honestly, the plethora of negative words can actively discourage us from speaking positive ones. 

Hey, we don't want to be on the "wrong" side of this thing, do we?

The way that our culture works, and the insecurities that we have developed as a result, extend not just to human beings, but also to God. This world has an overwhelmingly negative, judgmental, condescending view of God (the culture, not the church), and they're willing to say all kinds of things against Him just because it's en vogue to be outraged and upset and condemning of everything. 

It doesn't matter how many good things come out of God's love in the world, as soon as there is one perceived negative thing with God's name attached to it, the whole world seems to forget, to lose its mind, and to condemn God Himself to the pits of Hell. 

Maybe that's why I'm so insecure about it. If the world can condemn God so quickly.... 

And if you ask the world who God is, they'll tell you - He's no good. He's judgment. He's condemnation. He's smite-y. Just look at the Old Testament, where He's killing folk for no good reason except that He wants their land for His own people. Granted, the world doesn't have a good look on God, and it's easy for us to feel torn as Christians. I mean, what do you do?

But Daniel says that these are not the things God is known by. And...he's right. 

God is known by the great things He's done (Daniel 9:15), no matter what else the world tries to remember of Him. 

When the people of God tell His story, they tell the story of creating the world, giving the promise, saving the remnant, leading the people out of slavery, bringing them back from exile, being born in a manger, crucified on a cross, and walking out of an empty tomb. They tell the story of the God who gives sight to the blind, sound to the deaf, and a name to the forgotten. They tell the story of the God who talks to women, who rains manna from heaven, who makes all things new. And that's the difference. 

God is known by these things, no matter what other narrative tries to creep in, and as the people of God, we don't forget that. That is the story we keep telling because it's the one we know is most true. It's the one we know carries the heart of God in it. 

So maybe there's hope for us after all.