God’s Best
August 20, 2010
I just ran across this quote by C.S. Lewis and I thought it was so insightful (of course it is, it’s C.S. Lewis!)
We are not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us;
we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be.
I few years back Philip Yancy published a book entitled Disappointed With God. I have to be honest and say that I did not read it. I heard it wasn’t orthodox in its reasoning and should avoid it and since I hate to give my opinion on things I haven’t experienced, I won’t. But I am intrigued by the title and if I’m honest, I have totally felt that way before. Sometimes, I am plain disappointed with God. At least, I direct my disappointment towards Him, when really, I am probably just disappointed in myself and my choices, but like to shift the blame.
I really like the way C.S. Lewis penned it; we trust God will do the best – He promised in a myriad of scriptures – but yet we are sideswiped when the best is so darn hard. I remember about 10-15 years ago, I was disappointed with God, disappointed in all He had to offer, which I had convinced myself, wasn’t much. I was struggling in my faith, was full of questions and I was confused and angry. I remember He spoke to my heart and said that if I was disappointed in Him, I had only myself to blame, because I had stopped delving into Him – an infinite God has no end and there is no limit to what He offers and who He is. I had sold myself short.
To bring this back around to what C.S.Lewis says, God’s methods seem confusing and frustrating because we only choose to see the surface of our circumstances and fail to delve deeper and seek for a spiritual understanding of things. His best is not always easy, because His best wants to make us more like Him, which is (should be) the spiritual desire of all of us. And as sinners, this is a particularly painful task. Producing His best in us, requires the stripping away of who we are, how we think, what we want, and what we think we know. To be made into His image, inch by inch, reflecting who He is, is truly and glorious calling, albeit painful. Sometimes we don’t see the purpose this side of eternity, because we do these things in faith, for His eyes and His heart.
