Monday, December 17, 2018
631 - Gettin' Paid
Spirituality Column #631
December 18, 2018
Common Christianity / Uncommon Commentary
Gettin’ Paid
By Bob Walters
“For my thoughts are
not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
“For as the heavens
are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my
thoughts than your thoughts.” – God, Isaiah 55:8-9 KJV
My life is
rich with friends and close acquaintances who are much smarter than me. Yes I have my smart moments, but my treasure
is the intellect of my "peeps."
That said,
God here in Isaiah is not “speaking down” to us as though we are dumb humans
and he is the valedictorian of the Cosmos – although I suppose we are, and He
is; and on further review I suppose the “valedictorian” title is more
appropriate for Jesus Christ since he is the “All in All.” But the Trinitarian economy is not the point here
and valedictorian status is not the point; it’s not even in the conversation.
What God is
telling humanity in this section of Isaiah – some 550 years before God’s incarnation
in Christ Jesus – is that God is different from us.
Don’t just read the part about “higher ways and thoughts” in verse nine
without first taking to heart verse eight where it says “not your thoughts and
ways.” “Higher” means “different” - very different - in ways we simply have to trust in faith that they exist.
We may not comprehend
those/His ways, but let’s agree, “God is different.”
In this
Christmas season we talk a lot about gift giving and getting. Even the secular “Happy Holidays” crowd that
eschews mention of Jesus, “Christmas,” or the Incarnation of God, talks about
gift giving and getting. The more mature
among us understand that “getting” may make us happy, but true joy is in the
giving. I believe it is one of those
different “God ways” few humans truly “get,” including many Christians.
Christmas
winds up being a lot like the rest of our cultural year when it comes to
“giving and getting,” and it is alarming how many Christians perceive, are taught,
grasp, and solely recognize the “give/get” dynamic in the totality of their
earthly, human, and spirit life. In
other words we are expecting, no, we are
demanding, something in return for the “Jesus” things we do. Whether it is prayer, service, good works,
going to church, scripture reading, preaching – you name it – we apply Newton’s
“equal and opposite reaction” physics to the economy of every part of our lives. We
want to get paid.
God’s ways
and thoughts, spiritually, are simply not like that. I’m sure of it.
God presents to us, through Jesus
Christ in our lives and the light of the Holy Spirit in our souls – the way and
the truth and the life of all humanity – the reality of love and relationship
with Almighty God. The point is to bring
the grace and peace of Christ into our lives; to “know He is God” and share this life – all of it – with Him for His glory.
Very few people I know would be happy
– or find joy in – leaving it at that.
Suppose we did all that we do in a
Christian life – we know Jesus, we know Jesus is Lord, we act like it most of
the time, we tell people, we go to church, read the Bible, pray, feel the
light, grace, peace, and mystery of Jesus, and more – but found out we weren’t
“getting paid.” Suppose that in God’s
world of pure love, grace, and glory, of ultimate truth and righteousness, that
one huge thing that is “different and higher” in His Kingdom is the complete
absence of the transaction. No payment
or reward; just love.
Can you imagine? If you do, you can stop worrying about the
outcome.
Walters (rlwcom@aol.com) figures Godly relationship in Christ is a
joy, not a job.
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