Is God Safe? Part 1

Posted on 09.17.07 in Parenthood Thoughts and there are 10 comments.

As my kids get older and spend more time away from home, I have to learn to let them go and trust that God will protect them and keep them safe even when I’m not around.

But will He?

Is it really right to expect God to protect us and to keep us healthy and safe?

Is that really our goal in life? To arrive at death safely after 80 years of comfort?

It’s the American dream, but is it God’s?

Perhaps the Christian faith isn’t actually ultimately all about us.

Perhaps it’s about His glory, not my safety, happiness or peace.

I am guaranteed nothing in this life except that He will be glorified in the end. I want to be a part of that now.

The Comments:

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Not safe.  Good, yes.  Loving, oh yeah.  Providing all we need, uh huh.  BUT, what we need is what we need to serve Him, not ourselves, and sometimes servining Him is not an experience most on earth would call “pleasant”.  Pleanty of scripture about the suffering of “innocents”.

Wow...you are diving into places that most refuse to go. I spend a lot of time around the young radical “take over the world for Jesus” types.  Their passion and zeal is impressive...but they don’t have much to give up. Truly amazing to me is a parent that with trembling heart prays that their children will bring glory to God. That is trust...and ultimately, that is worship. Congratulations..."typical, Christian, southern, suburban, soccer mom” you are not!

There’s a portion of the morning prayers I use that says,

“We entrust all who are dear to us to Your never failing love and care, for this life and for the life to come; knowing that you will do for them far more than we can desire or pray for.”

It has become a recurring refrain throughout my day.

Some medical questions this past year caused me to look at the questions you’re asking a little less theoretically than I have in the past. And I realized that the the real question most of us ask is not, “Does He exist?”, but “What is He like?, Can I really trust Him?”

Sometimes the answers to these questions are found in places that we’d never go on our own.

Medically everything turned out fine, but something is settled in me now that wasn’t before.

Looking at my above comment, I wonder if I’ve come across a bit sanctimonious.  Didn’t mean to, if I did.  I’ve thought a good deal about this over the last four years (funny how it is the children and not the spouse that raises this thought train).  Sara Groves’ album The Other Side of Something came with a bonus disc which included an interview with her.  On it she talks about being on tour, worrying about her new son and wondering if her faith would survive if anything happened to him.  She confided this with a good friend, who told her that if her faith wouldn’t survive that, then her faith wasn’t surviving in the first place.  Very wise words, I believe.

I love the Old Testament, the stories of people and nations and the struggle of coming to know God through their failures and successes.  I am amazed at how open and honest Jehovah is at points, addressing the question of why bad things happen.  We never really know the why of anything, but He does.  God tells us He has a purpose, that these hurts are both painful and necessary; even, at times, a relief from greater suffering.  Hard to swallow, and bitter tasting, but good.

One of the hardest things is trusting that God knows what’s best for us even though it doesn’t always feel like it’s the best.  And we can’t always know how it’s best during our lifetimes.

i deal with this daily as i pray for all of my family and John.  I know I don’ t deserve a long life with HIm or that he will make it safe to work, or that no one will come into my house uninvited.  Is protection a blessing? 

“The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” Job 1:21

“Fear not, for I am with; do not be discouraged for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Is 41:10

"He isn’t safe, but he’s good,” wrote C.S. Lewis, and Jesus said we lose our lives to save them.  1 John 4 says the opposite of love isn’t what we think.  The opposite of love isn’t hate.  Hate’s too easy.  The opposite of love is fear.  If we trust that God will take care of us whether we are “safe” or not, we’re free from fear and the sin that we sin because we’re afraid.  And once we stop being afraid, there isn’t much we can’t do through him who gives us strength.

Basically, that’s my theology.  It’s not about expectations about what God will or will not do, other than trusting that God will be.

On a completely unrelated/irreverent note, after my father informed him about my bunjee jumping/rafting/etc. week, the pastor said, “Sweetie, we can’t outpray stupid.”

Euphrony,
I don’t think you came across sanctimonious at all.

I really like that story about Sara Groves.

Michael,
I just told Jimmy that I think your comment is the best comment I’ve ever received on this blog. Thanks for your kind words.

Albert,
Isn’t it amazing what a little bit of fear will do to make us ask questions and help us settle our doubts? I’m glad all is well with you.

Amy,
“And we can’t always know how it’s best during our lifetimes.”
That’s definitely the hardest part for me but it’s at that point that faith picks up where logic fails.

Diana,
Another passage I really like is Psalm 18.

I guess the point that I’m trying to reach in my own life is that I’d have a greater desire for God’s fame and purpose than for my protection. I’m not there yet.

TIA,
I love that quote from your pastor. That cracked me up!

Have you heard the song Aslan by Kendall Payne? It’s about that passage that C.S. Lewis wrote about Aslan not being safe but good. It’s a great song.

I really like what you had to say about fear....more good stuff to think about.

Great POST!  I have much to say about this topic… I have learned SO much about it these last few weeks.  I’ll have to come back once I get my thoughts together!  (and have more time)

achelona,
You know, it was actually our conversation that got me thinking about this.

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