“When you think you know better than God, that’s like taking the baton from his hand when he’s already finished the race and trying to beat his time.”
– Family Life Radio
I love this analogy! So, what things do we do that indicate–whether we realize it or not–that we know better than God? There are many, but here are a few that came to mind when I heard this today:
1. Judgment: I’ll say it again–the ground is level at the foot of the cross. God made us all the same and with a definite plan and purpose for our lives, and there is NEVER a circumstance wherein we get to judge someone as better or worse, more than or less than, etc. To drive this point home, know that there will be criminals in Heaven because God does not rank order sin. If in doubt, review Ephesians 2:9: “For we are saved by grace, not by works, so that no man can boast.” So, we think we know better than God when we choose to judge others. As I discussed with a patient earlier today, cut us open, and we all look the same.
2. Giving Up: You don’t get to give up. Period. Again, God has a plan and purpose for your life (Reference: Purpose-Driven Life, a book by Rick Warren). Sometimes, life really sucks–there are no two ways about it–but God doesn’t give us more than we can handle WITH HIM. He gives us plenty more than we can handle alone, and we are to turn to him for help and strength. If in doubt, review Philippians 4:13: “For I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (This is my all-time fave verse, by the way.)
3. Suicide: Killing yourself is cashing in your chips before the game is done. Suicide is murder (self-murder), and we know that only God decides how long we are here. In doing therapy with people of all ages and all walks of life for nearly 20 years now, I can tell you that most people have thought about suicide at least once in their lives, many of them more than that and some daily. You have to refuse to see this as an option. Once you take that out of the equation, your focus can shift to making things better, however difficult or painful that may be.
4. Making Excuses for Bad Behavior: We are called to stay away from sin as much as possible. We know that the wages of sin is death, and we must all die because no one is sinless or blameless. But the bottom line when it comes to sin is this: If you sin against someone else and try to justify or rationalize your behavior, you are trying to excuse your behavior and say it’s not a sin. This, then, means that you are professing to know more than God. One of the most ludicrous examples of defending behavior is the parent who says, “Yes, I was abusive to you, but you had it far better than I did.” That’s just crap! At the end of the day, that parent was still abusive. (For more on this, visit my website to see the ATAQ that I wrote about parenting.)
5. Bullying/Antagonization/Abuse/Violence: Engaging in these behaviors conveys the message that I’m better than you, so I can treat you as though you are less than I am in some way. Again, total crap! The ground is level, remember? Ironically, those who engage in these behaviors are the ones who truly feel less than. You’d never know it on the outside, but I assure you that it comes from a place of insecurity. No matter how confident these people may look on the outside, they are just scared, hurting little people on the inside. The bases of that insecurity are many, and you can find lots more about this in my blog about bullying.
6. Social Comparison: This goes both ways: comparing yourself to others less favorably OR more favorably. For example, saying that someone has it better than you or that they can’t possibly understand what you are going through is a judgment you are making based on only what you see on the outside. Emotions are universal, so we don’t all have to have the exact same experiences to know what those emotions feel like. I will assure you that many people who have much would trade it all for peace and joy within themselves. On the other side, saying someone has it worse than you, so you shouldn’t complain can be just as dangerous and sometimes moves people toward giving up. Yes, someone likely does have it far worse than you, but someone also likely has it far better than you. (How we subjectively define “better” and “worse” is a separate discussion.) We don’t get to judge our lot in life; we simply have a chance to make it better and make a positive impact on others.
So, remember, there is NO circumstance under which we know better than God. We wouldn’t be here without him. He created each and every one of us and has a plan and purpose for our lives beyond what we may be able to see on a daily basis. To be clear, I’d be lying if I said that I NEVER have doubts about God’s plan. There are many times where I look to the sky and say, “Really? Are you sure?” Invariably, the answer is yes, so I just have to remember who’s in charge and choose to keep fighting.
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