day 5/6 More thoughts on doing things [with God]

After spending a whole day analyzing whether I really agreed with what i wrote on day 3, I realized that I think I was more trying to articulate the peculiar power struggle we humans have with God. What I wrote was trying to dispel and do away with the notion that we even needed the power struggle. It was a hurrah for a "we can work together" chant. And while I do think that is true, the Gospel makes it so, I feel I wrote what I wrote because I wish more people understood that message from the gospel. That does not mean to say we should grasp equality with God, not even Jesus did that, but I think rather we need to look into what it means to be an heir with Christ. Being an heir to God's kingdom, being his child, requires responsibility, wisdom, ingenuity, humility, and faith. And I think when you look at it through that lens, it sort of changes the face of the God versus man power struggle. God is working in us, and for us, and with us. It's not an Him versus Us or He's crushing us under his feet and we have to submit type of relationship. It's a very positive relationship where he wants to take away the "dross" in us and let our better qualities shine out. And there are plenty of better qualities that need to shine. I guess I feel that when we focus on those impurities too much, we miss the other stuff, the good stuff, and that we don't talk about the good stuff enough and maybe we don't even know how to talk about the good stuff, so we talk about the bad stuff. [This is part of the program where I insert why i like good kid's lit so much. The answer is because it talks about the good stuff waaayyy more than the average good modern day adult lit does. More thoughts on that later, i hope, because while you could argue kid's lit doesn't go as deep into the flaws and many facets of the human experience, my argument is sort of along the lines of why do we want to? it's not that uplifting and sometimes reading how awful people can be to each other, is not my idea of a good time... tbc.]

In the end, I sometimes become frustrated when people highlight flaws way too much. I have the same issue with the news. In my opinion, it's not a balanced perspective. If you are going to talk about man's pride, talk about what happens when man is humble. If you are going to talk about greed, talk about what it means to be generous of heart, possessions and spirit. If you are going to talk about the sin found in man's heart, also talk about the good that struggles to come out, too. Balance! I want balance!
And yes, I think humans are no where near perfection or are in anyway close to God's beauty, truth, and goodness, but that is not what matters. God wants to be in relationship with us, whatever our baggage, whatever our imperfections, so let's do all in our ability to make that happen. Confess, repent, be saved, forgive, let go, rejoice, praise, enter into his presence. Let's get ourselves right with God so we can get on getting right with our world and others!