Having a God Perspective

I'm working on lesson plans for this fall, and as I'm working my way once again through the book of Romans, I came across a phrase by Paul that enlightened me on how we often ignore God's perspective on things. We like to tell God how things are supposed to be. Take the apostle Peter as an example: 1) Peter tells Jesus that crucifixion is NOT the way Jesus is going to die (even though it is God's plan all along); 2) Peter first rejects have Jesus wash his feet and then accepts only on the stipulation that Jesus wash his entire body (Jesus tells Peter that the whole body is not necessary--only the feet need to be washed); 3) A good while later (Book of Acts) Peter is on a rooftop praying when God shows Peter a sheet filled with many kinds of animals (clean and unclean by Mosaic Law, which Peter, being a good Jew, follows very strictly). God tells Peter to take and eat of the animals. Peter tells God that he won't eat from the unclean animals. (It takes 3 more times for Peter to understand that God's perspective is that there is not such thing as "unclean".)

So Peter had a difficult time understanding God's perspective on things. Don't we all. So following I hope you will find some encouragement on how we need to seek (and find) God's perspective on things because he has a better vantage point than we do.

Romans 4:17 - "[Abraham] is our father in the sight of God, in who he believed--the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were."

I have always enjoyed that last phrase as a definition of God, especially "calls things that are not as though they were." Regularly the phrase causes me to consider Jesus standing before the tomb of Lazarus. In front of an entire crowd who is convinced that Lazarus is dead, Jesus declares otherwise. Jesus does not say, "Lazarus come back from the dead." No, Jesus says "Lazarus, come forth," as if the man is already alive and simply needs to come downstairs for dinner.

But this time around I read the verse in context--the story of Abraham. This verse--penned by Paul but inspired by the Spirit--is God's version of Abraham's story! This is a verse about God's perspective on things.

1. "God who gives life to the dead" - Paul later mentions [v.19] that Abraham considered his body as good as dead, and yet he believed that God would give him a son. Thus God gives life to Abraham's dead body. But once Abraham has the promised child, Isaac, God commands Abraham to kill Isaac as a sacrifice. And why does Abraham go through with it? Many suggestions are made (not least of which by Kierkegaard, I believe) to this end: Abraham believed God could give life to the dead. And that's just what God does. The boy is as good as dead, Abraham has the knife raised, when God calls the child back to life by delivering him.

2. "calls things that are not as though they were." - How does Abraham's story begin?

God - "Abram, pack up your belongings and leave your family."

Abram - "And where shall I be going?" (a very human inquiry)

God - "To a place that I will show you."

Abram - "Can I get a map?" (a very manly inquiry)

God - "I will lead, you can follow."

Abram - "Does the place even exist?" (a very adult inquiry)

God - "Dude, I built the place with my own Word. Trust me."

Abraham leaves. Does he actually know the place exists? Has he seen it? No. But God, knowing that the place exists, calls things that (appear) to be not as though they are.

What else? Ah, yes. God comes to Abraham and says, "You will be the father of many nations." And Abraham is thinking, "Cool, but I don't have any children and my wife and I are beyond childbearing years." But again, God (in his totally different perspective) calls things that are not as though they were.

And, of course, there are plenty more examples. But this one verse, Romans 4:17, shows us God's perspective of Abraham's story.

So how are you doing on living a God perspective? I admit that on a day-to-day basis right now I'm not doing so well. Even I need reminders of who God is and what he can do. Perhaps I will look today for something that is, even though it seems like it is not supposed to be.