by Russ Neal
In my book Empire I cite the fact that polls consistently show only about 4% of people claiming to be atheists. But today I would like to suggest that perhaps 96% of us are atheists for practical purposes. We are “practical atheists.”
Consider when you are looking for a job. Say you apply to ten places and get ten rejections. What do you think? First you will dwell on those other people who didn’t hire you. They were unfair. They didn’t like your race or religion or age or something. They are too stupid to realize your value. They must have felt threatened by you. Then you will shift focus to yourself. What’s wrong with me? I’m too stupid. I’ll never get a job. Other people can get jobs but I can’t.
In other words it is all about men, yourself or others. You seldom think about God in such practical situations. If you do it’s just “why is God doing this to me?” You do not approach the job search in terms of “What does God want for me and my life?” You do not approach it as if God was in control of your circumstances including other people. You do not view life as the writer of Hebrews did in 4:13, saying that God is “He with whom we have to do.”
In other words, even when you are dealing with a prospective employer, customer, boss, husband or wife, friend or enemy, it is ultimately God with whom you are dealing. Other people are not under your control. They are part of your circumstances, and your circumstances are totally under God’s control. What is under your control is how you act and respond to God.
Joseph was sold into slavery in Egypt by his own brothers. We are told that in these circumstances “the word of the Lord tried him.” (Psalm 105:19) Then in one day God took him from prison to being the second highest ruler in the land, and used him to save his family from famine. With his understanding that it was God with whom he was dealing, he was able to say to his brothers “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” (Genesis 50:20) Joseph had learned to look at life as a practical believer, not as a practical atheist.
How many of us look at things this way when it comes to politics or even war? After 9/11, how many of us considered Proverbs 16:7, “When a man's ways are pleasing to the LORD, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him.” When we rage and complain about what the President and his allies are doing to the Church and the country, how many of us take time to ask God why he has allowed these things to come upon us, and what He wants of us?
It is not enough for us to say we believe in God, or even to actually believe in Him. We also must begin looking at all of our circumstances with the realization that God is the One with whom we are actually dealing.
Feel free to comment by clicking the "comment" link below
In my book Empire I cite the fact that polls consistently show only about 4% of people claiming to be atheists. But today I would like to suggest that perhaps 96% of us are atheists for practical purposes. We are “practical atheists.”
Consider when you are looking for a job. Say you apply to ten places and get ten rejections. What do you think? First you will dwell on those other people who didn’t hire you. They were unfair. They didn’t like your race or religion or age or something. They are too stupid to realize your value. They must have felt threatened by you. Then you will shift focus to yourself. What’s wrong with me? I’m too stupid. I’ll never get a job. Other people can get jobs but I can’t.
In other words it is all about men, yourself or others. You seldom think about God in such practical situations. If you do it’s just “why is God doing this to me?” You do not approach the job search in terms of “What does God want for me and my life?” You do not approach it as if God was in control of your circumstances including other people. You do not view life as the writer of Hebrews did in 4:13, saying that God is “He with whom we have to do.”
In other words, even when you are dealing with a prospective employer, customer, boss, husband or wife, friend or enemy, it is ultimately God with whom you are dealing. Other people are not under your control. They are part of your circumstances, and your circumstances are totally under God’s control. What is under your control is how you act and respond to God.
Joseph was sold into slavery in Egypt by his own brothers. We are told that in these circumstances “the word of the Lord tried him.” (Psalm 105:19) Then in one day God took him from prison to being the second highest ruler in the land, and used him to save his family from famine. With his understanding that it was God with whom he was dealing, he was able to say to his brothers “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” (Genesis 50:20) Joseph had learned to look at life as a practical believer, not as a practical atheist.
How many of us look at things this way when it comes to politics or even war? After 9/11, how many of us considered Proverbs 16:7, “When a man's ways are pleasing to the LORD, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him.” When we rage and complain about what the President and his allies are doing to the Church and the country, how many of us take time to ask God why he has allowed these things to come upon us, and what He wants of us?
It is not enough for us to say we believe in God, or even to actually believe in Him. We also must begin looking at all of our circumstances with the realization that God is the One with whom we are actually dealing.
Feel free to comment by clicking the "comment" link below
