Today, I remember this quote that I read almost 15 years ago in a little book called, Disciples are Made not Born, by Walter Henrichsen and Howard Hendricks. The authors claim that “every problem we have is related to our view of God.” It was the kind of sentence a person underlines and then rewrites in her favorite journal by her bed.
It’s the kind of quote to repeat to yourself when you’re thinking about everything that’s going wrong in your life.
I remember it because I have received multiple emails from the English Department entitled: EMERGENCY MEETING! to “update us on the financial situation.” The budge crisis affects all of our jobs, and I have no doubt that the purpose of this meeting will confirm our fears.
I look at these emails and ponder the meaning of the words “emergency” and “crisis.” Then, I restate the truth: Every problem I have is related to my view of God.
Can this really be true? The quote argues that if we have a big God, we have small problems. If we have a small God, we have big problems.
What kind of God do I have?
Do I view God in such a way that what the world sees as an “emergency” or a “crisis,” I now see dissolving into a peaceful opportunity to see the work of God displayed? What do I need to believe about God to live with the kind of flair that smiles in the face of bad news? The Psalmist in Psalm 112 (a wonderful acrostic poem) proclaims that those who know God will “never be shaken.” He writes, “They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord. Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear.”
Living with flair means our hearts stay steadfast, trusting, unshaken, and fearless. We have a very big God.
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Journal: If I have a problem today, how does my view of God change this problem into a possibility?
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I remember from a Beth Moore study (can't remember which one specifically) a quote from one of her video session…it was something about praying for God to be big. I recall writing it in the margin of my workbook. And I always liked that – it made it simple – when you don't know how else to pray, you can just pray for God to be big.
But in thinking about that in light of this post…it's not really about praying for God to be big, cuz he always is and always will be, “never-changing bigness” but rather, to pray for myself to always see and remember how truly BIG he is! Bigger than any mess, or crisis, or sin.