You Do You - The Distance from God's Ways

Mark Batterson describes in his book, The Circle Maker, just how expansive the universe is. He describes galaxies with millions of suns like our own or much larger than our sun being located 15.5 billion lightyears away from us. Then he gives us this thought, “Your best thought on your best day falls 15.5 billion lightyears short of how great and how good God really is.” This is a wonderful description of just how far apart we are from the perfection and righteousness of God.

"My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the LORD. "And My ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.” (Isaiah 55:8) 

Yet, we think we know what is best. We think we know that God in His Word to us didn’t really mean what it says. Or, we think we’ve grown or evolved since then. … Really?!? … Do we really think we are gods? In order to say we know better than God is to say we are equivalent or more elevated, that we are a god. When I suggest this to people who have made a conscious decision to oppose the Word of God, even as they declare they are a Christian, I find they get into a rage at the suggestion. How could I possible suggest something so preposterous? Yet, they are making an active decision at that very moment in contradiction to the clear direction of God to do otherwise.

“You do you” society says. How exactly can we possibly know who we are or what we are made to do apart from God? We can’t even explain how we are alive, or where the spark of life comes from. We can’t explain with certainty how we came into being. We can’t explain with any knowledge where we go when we die … apart from God and His Word. We truly know nothing of life, yet we are more than willing to tell God we know what’s best for us.

In the Andy Stanley study series, In The Meantime, Andy Jones says in Part 4 that “when you focus on what’s wrong, you lose sight of what God is doing right.”  Our society does a phenomenal job at focusing on what’s wrong and a dismal job at focusing on what’s right.  In fact, when something right happens, half the country finds a way to describe it in such a way that it looks wrong.  No wonder so many Americans are depressed.  When I consider that so many people are focused on themselves and seeking to glorify themselves, is it any wonder that they can’t see God?  They focus on what’s wrong (themselves) and lose sight of what’s right (God).

Mr. Jones continues saying, “What I feel like needs to be made right and what you feel like needs to be made right may not be what God feels like needs to be made right.  And the timing in which we feel it needs to be made right may not be the timing that God feels like it needs to be made right.”  Considering how far removed we are from the mind and perfection of God, can we really understand the difference between wrong and right apart from God?  How can we possibly know what a good action even is?  

We are advised to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5)

If we trust in what we understand and know we can be sure to get a fool’s reward.  It has been said that we should “never argue with an idiot, he’ll bring you down to his level and beat you with experience.”  The world is much more experienced at operating and validating its foolishness than you possibly can be.  The world will beat you with experience of doing the wrong thing and being evil (against God). 

We must understand that the only way for us to be who we were made to be, to live into our purpose, is to depend solely upon God and His Word.  God doesn’t lead a husband or a wife to leave their spouse and kids after 20 years and a commitment before Him to “have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death do us part”.  But, I see Christians, those who by name profess to follow Christ, do this every week.  How is that possible except they think they are god?  God doesn’t lead someone to abuse a child, but I see even Christians, in the news being arrested for such acts.  God doesn’t lead someone to fall into alcohol or drug abuse, but I see Christians falling into it.  God doesn’t lead someone to worship their own body and dedicate themselves to being so fit that they think they are better than others, but I see Christians falling into that trap every day.  How can any of this happen except that we think we know better what is good for us and think we are god? 

The truth of life is we are incapable of “you do you”.  Only God can lead us, sustain us, and give us a purpose.