Creatively Designed

Not long ago, I was sitting at my job where I work as an archives assistant and was compiling information from various, sometimes conflicting, sources into a spreadsheet. The task was a needed step in a long process but was mentally arduous, and were I to explain in detail what I was doing, most people would likely shudder at the seeming drudgery of it.

Press pause on that scene and jump to a few weeks later when I was getting to know some international students most of whom are in the United States studying some form of engineering or computer science. They are passionate about what they are studying—and good at it too—but no matter how much enthusiasm they have, I find I can’t muster up any great manner of excitement for fields of study such as these that are completely over my head.

Then this past week, I was running to catch the elevator at work (if you’ve ever used, i.e. waited for, the elevators in said building, you’ll understand), and a student kindly held the elevator for me. During our brief encounter, we began a conversation that included his mentioning he was studying all day. I inquired the topic of his studies, and he answered, “Calculus,” to which I wrinkled my nose and expressed my condolences. “Eh, it’s not too bad,” he replied. “I like it pretty well.”

Now let's go back to my office . . . The student's response in the elevator is similar to what mine would have been had someone asked me what I was doing at work every day. “Bleh. That sounds so boring,” they might say. But it wasn’t boring to me. Okay, yes, sometimes it made my brain hurt and seemed like it would never end, but I knew the purpose behind what I was doing. And I could see as I was working how my organizational skills, attention to detail, and general appreciation for making order out of chaos were making it possible for me not only to perform the task but to enjoy it.

And as I sat at my desk that day those weeks ago, my mind and heart erupted in worship of the Creator God who gave me particular interests and the bent to be able to perform the duties necessary in the work field of my interests.

You see, that’s the common thread through each of the vignettes that opened this post—people who are specifically interested and gifted in vastly different areas. I’m sure there are some jobs that nobody feels particularly drawn to or talented in, but in my experience so far I never cease to be amazed at the wide variety of occupations that exist and the way that there are individuals who are so perfectly suited to them.

What a comfort it is to know that there are engineers and mathematicians out there; economists and artists and medical professionals of all specialties; musicians and scientists; film-makers and attorneys; farmers and authors and mechanics; ministers and teachers; accountants and architects; librarians, soldiers, and carpenters—the list goes on and on.

Have you ever stopped to consider the immense creativity God has displayed in the way He has designed each of us, how He has instilled in different people different talents for different purposes? We often think of Psalm 139:13-14 as verses that speak to the value of life in the womb, and rightly so, but do we recognize that we are just as wonderfully made as adults?

“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well” (Psalm 139:13-14, ESV).

Our infinitely wise Creator did not just design our bodies; He crafted our personalities and granted us talents for His glory and our good—whether we recognize it or not. But oh how sweet it is when we do.

In one sense, we can look at our own individual lives and praise God for the fearful and wonderful way in which He has made us, but we can also lift our gaze to the sea of humanity present and past and marvel at the beautiful creativity of our God. We are each wonderfully designed, and look how many designs there are!

Sit and soak a moment in the knowledge that each and every design originated from the mind of God—then like a saturated sponge, let that knowledge be squeezed out into praise for the One that is infinite in His creativity and has displayed His designs for all to see. What a beautiful God we serve!

Christians and the Vote

The contents of this post have been rumbling around in my head and heart for a while now, and I figure with less than a month before the election it’s about time that I write them out. I do so confidently yet with some trepidation, not being a super huge fan of conflict and realizing that the following perspective might ruffle some feathers and that there will likely be those who strongly disagree.

And that’s fine. There’s plenty of space for differences of opinion here. However, in an attempt to avoid perceived disagreements where none actually exist, let me state at the outset that this post is not an endorsement of any candidate, nor does it pertain merely to the current election cycle.

So now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s jump in. You ready? *Deep breath* Here we go…

Especially in this election season, there seem to be two poles of perspective among those who claim the name of Christ: one that emphasizes our American citizenship and one that emphasizes our citizenship in the Kingdom of God. Yet focusing on only one of these aspects of our identity fails to address the complexity of our reality.

We are Christians, yes. And as Christians, our primary allegiance is to Christ and to His Kingdom. There’s an interesting complexity to His Kingdom, though, in that it is in an “already/not yet” state of being. In other words, His Kingdom has arrived, and we believers are currently part of it, but it has not yet reached its completeness. Because of the “not yet” aspect of His Kingdom, earthly “kingdoms” still exist, and every human is a part of one—even Christians.  

As Christians who believe in the sovereignty of God, we believe that God ordained when and where we would live, what family we would be born into, and what earthly “kingdom” we would be a part of. So for those of us who are citizens of the United States, we are that (and are not citizens of another country) because God has placed us in this particular context at this particular time in history. The same can be said for all people no matter what country they are a part of. So we are Christians who happen (by God’s plan) also to be Americans during our time on this earth. That is who we are.

Here’s where I can see the first wave of objections rising: “If our allegiance is to Christ, then what should it matter what country we are a part of? Shouldn’t we only be concerned about matters of His Kingdom? Our identity is rooted in Christ; should we even recognize “American” as part of our identity?"  

Remember that Christ did not save us in a vacuum. And He did not whisk us straight to heaven when He saved us. He left us here in our specific context to live out our salvation (not to earn it, but to demonstrate it). God does not negate our earthly life when He brings us into His kingdom; He redeems it.

Let me ask—what if we framed the above objections in reference to our families? After all, as Christians we are children of God, right? Right. “So if He is our Father, what should it matter what earthly family we are a part of? Shouldn’t we only be concerned about matters of His Family?” [The answer to that rhetorical question is no.]

I hope this makes it a little clearer to see that God does not absolve us of our earthly responsibilities when he brings us into His kingdom. We are still the children of our parents and the parents of our children; we are still to honor and take care of our earthly family. Similarly, being a Christian informs our citizenship, but it does not absolve us of our civic duty. We are still citizens of the United States; we are still to honor those in authority over us, to pay our taxes, and—to vote.

And here we reach the controversial topic: voting as a Christian. I’ve attempted to establish thus far why I believe Christians should vote. The question then follows—yes, but how are we to vote?

I think it is helpful to look to Jeremiah’s letter to the Jewish exiles in Babylon for an applicable principle. The Jews are living in an earthly kingdom that is not the nation God established for His own chosen people; they are living in the pagan Babylon that does not recognize God’s authority. The prophet Jeremiah, still in Jerusalem, writes to the exiles and relates to them God’s command to settle in to their current location and to invest in their current community (Jeremiah 29:4-6).

Then God tells the Jews, “But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare” (Jeremiah 29:7, ESV). Note that He didn’t tell them to try to get other Jews in leadership positions in the royal government. Nor, did He call them to isolate themselves from the community or to bemoan the fact that their Babylonian political leaders were not honoring God. He simply called them to seek the welfare of their city and to pray for it.

Today, as Christians who are Americans, we are God’s chosen people who are living in an earthly country that is not the kingdom God established for His Church. (For more on the “Christian nation” mentality, see my previous post on providentialism.) Because America is not equivalent to the Church, there are different standards the leaders of each must meet. For leaders of the Church (e.g. pastors and deacons), we look to Scripture to see the necessary qualifications.

But America is not the Church. Just as we would not expect or require unbelievers to live according to the standards of God’s Word to which we hold believers, so we should not expect or require the leaders of the United States to meet the qualifications of leaders of the Church. This means, among other things, that a person does not have to be a Christian to be worthy of our vote.

Some might argue that this is compartmentalizing our faith from the rest of our life, and I agree that compartmentalizing our faith is wrong. But there is a difference between compartmentalizing and making a distinction. I am not suggesting we wall off our duties as a citizen from our Christian convictions. Our Christianity should inform our decision-making in every aspect of life. But what I am suggesting is that we can and should make a distinction between the requirements we hold for leaders and members of the Church and those we hold for leaders in the earthly country called the United States.

Yes, it would be awesome if we had leaders who had been saved by Jesus Christ and who actively sought to honor Him in all that they do. But there is such a thing as common grace, i.e. God has graciously equipped people who are not His children with talents and success and some degree of wisdom. Because of this grace, it is possible for an unregenerate person to make good decisions and to lead well.

Also, it’s important to keep in mind that sometimes there may not be any Christian candidates. Now, here, I know some would argue that we should write-in someone who is a believer or who at least is “morally upright,” but I would reiterate that being a Christian is not a qualification for holding elected office in the United States—and would add that neither is being “morally upright.”

“Man, she’s really going off the deep end now. How can you honor Christ and vote for someone who isn’t morally upright?” It’s a valid question. But I would answer it with another one: who is morally upright? Every single one of us, Christian or not, has deep moral flaws—including every single candidate that is on the ballot or that could be written in. Some flaws manifest themselves differently than others, and some are more public than others, but they are all flaws, nonetheless.

The only difference Christians can boast is the indwelling Holy Spirit Who can help us overcome our flaws. But again, the “not yet” aspect of God’s kingdom means that even Christians will still fail to live perfectly holy, upright lives. Just because someone is a Christian does not mean they will always make wise decisions. “Yes, but at least they are governed by Christ.” Okay, so if that is what we most care about, then we're back to saying we should vote for Christians.

For the sake of discussion, let’s say, yes, sure, we should vote for a Christian. But what if a Christian isn’t on the ballot? “Then write one in.” But what if your state’s laws prevent you from writing in? Do you just not vote? I hope I’ve shown with the first half of this post that the answer to that is “no—you should vote.”  So what then?

If we should vote and voting for a Christian is not an option, then how do we decide whom to vote for? I would suggest looking two places—1) to the place that outlines the qualifications for elected officials and 2) to the passage in Jeremiah. For President, for instance, the requirements are that a person be a natural born citizen, at least 35 years old, and have lived in the U.S. for at least fourteen years (see Article II, Section I of the U.S. Constitution). Once those requirements have been met, then I believe we should choose the candidate whom we believe will best foster our country’s welfare (see Jeremiah 29:7 above).

This means looking at the candidates’ policies—their stances on the issues and their plans for decision-making and action/inaction. The reality is that we are choosing people who will be leading (and hopefully serving) our country by making decisions that will affect the well-being of our people. Hypothetically, let’s say that there are two candidates whom we equally consider to be people of character but who have very different views on a particular issue. I believe we should choose the one whose policies most align with what we believe will lead to the welfare of our nation.

And it is here that being a Christian helps inform our decision. What does Scripture have to say about the issues facing our nation? And for the ones Scripture does not specifically address, what are the biblical principles that help us shape our understanding of them? Once we have educated ourselves on the issues (see P.S. below) and given prayerful consideration to a biblical stance on them, we should look at where each of the candidates stand and choose the one who most matches up with our beliefs.

In this way, I believe we can be honoring to God by fulfilling the responsibilities of the earthly citizenship He has granted us. Voting for the people we believe to best represent biblical positions on the issues and praying for our elected officials are two ways we can seek the welfare of the country/state/city God has ordained as our earthly home. May He grant us wisdom and a gracious spirit in interacting with our fellow believers and citizens in the weeks and months ahead.

P.S. I have found the following link to be helpful. Even if you don’t actually answer the questions, it will at least provide you with a good idea of what the issues currently facing our country are.  http://www.isidewith.com  (Click on "Take the Quiz" to see the questions then click on “Answer more               questions” under each section to see the full range of issues.)

The Mixed Blessing of Nostalgia

Nostalgia. Move around enough, or perhaps I should say return to former habitats enough, and it will become a near-constant companion. Especially if you have a sentimental bent like I do, it attaches itself with a relentless grip.

That sensation of remembrance combined with the surreal realization that things are different yet the same; walking familiar paths and feeling right at home yet simultaneously out of place; knowing that this place is connected to you because it is where a part of your story unfolded, but a part that is in the past—these are all factors that come into play when nostalgia comes calling.

The very definition of the word conveys the mixed nature of the condition. American Heritage Dictionary defines it as “A bittersweet longing for things, persons, or situations of the past,” and Merriam-Webster as “pleasure and sadness that is caused by remembering something from the past and wishing that you could experience it again.”

As Christians, what role should nostalgia play in our lives? Is it healthy for us to long for what is past? As with many things, I think the answer is both yes and no.

Certainly we are to be a present- and future-minded people—present in the sense that we are called to live today for the glory of God and future in that we live each day with “the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13, NIV). But there is a sense in which we are to be a people of the past as well.

Often in Christian circles, the “past” is thought of in terms of an individual’s pre-Christ lifestyle that God redeems through the blood of Christ. It is something we are delivered out of and are not to return to. And certainly that is true, but there is another way to view the past: as the account of God’s overarching story wherein his faithfulness, mercy, and grace are displayed.

Numerous times in Scripture God’s people are encouraged—even commanded—to remember the past (e.g. Deut 5:15, 7:18, 32:7, 1 Chron. 16:12, Psalm 105:5, Eph. 2:11-12, etc.), and many of these passages, like Psalm 77:11, speak to recalling the works of God:  “I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your wonders of old” (Psalm 77:11, ESV). In some sense, this could be referring to things that the Lord has done before our time, but I believe there is also something to be said for remembering ways the Lord has worked in our own lives.

And it is here that nostalgia can come into play.

I began writing this post while I was spending the weekend in my four-year home-away-from-home—the town where I went to college. The weekend was filled with catching up with dear friends and traipsing around old haunts, as all the while nostalgia swirled, flooding me with memories of pure joy and deep pain, of refreshing excitement and crushing loss, of quiet peace and turbulent trials.

But what accompanied the mixed emotions was an overwhelming sense of the steady, faithful hand of God through it all. As I found myself longing to return to the happy scenes, some of which are decidedly irretrievable even in a new form, I was gently reminded that those times are gifts that were given me for that particular chapter of my life (and not for this one). They are experiences the Lord gave me to help mold and shape me, to help me learn more about myself and more about Him.

Without remembering those times, I would lose the opportunity to marvel in the work of God in my life, to thank Him for the people and places He allowed me to know, and to praise Him for His graciousness to me. In this way, nostalgia can definitely be a blessing, for the aching longing for former things can lead us to a joyful awe of our sovereign God.

But the longing doesn’t always lead to such a positive result.

We can look to the Israelites for an example of how nostalgia can get us into trouble. In Numbers 11:5, the people are tiring of their God-provided manna and are looking back with longing on the more varied diet they enjoyed in Egypt. “We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic,” they cry (ESV).

Their remembrance of the past led to their complaining about the present, and God became angry with them, for they neglected to acknowledge His continuous provision and instead essentially declared that His gifts weren’t good enough.  The Numbers account is a cautionary tale for us, because we can easily fall into the same trap. If we’re not careful, we can let nostalgia breed discontentment in our lives.

So, as with many things, nostalgia is neither good nor bad in and of itself. Like a road that splits into two forks, it can lead us either to humble praise or prideful demanding, to contentment or complaining. But being mindful of the mixed potential nostalgia brings with it is the first step in training our minds to take the positive fork rather than the negative, in disciplining ourselves, through the help and power of the Holy Spirit, to be ever mindful of the goodness of God as we remember the past.

Sources:

https://ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=nostalgia&submit.x=38&submit.y=28. Accessed 16 September 2016.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nostalgia. Accessed 16 September 2016.

A Year in Review

This week marks one year since the debut of “An Iris Awaits.” Over the course of that time under the general headings of Church, Culture, and Catch-all, we have looked at everything from prayer to politics, with some history and literature thrown in along the way. Having reached this milestone, I’d like to take a respite this week from the typical type of posts and instead glance back and glance ahead at the journey we’re on together.

Looking Back

I didn’t know when I began this journey where the path would lead (or even if I would be able to come up with something to write about every other week), but I have so enjoyed this past year of sharing what I have been learning with you.

My hope and prayer in starting this blog was not to exhibit my own writing skills or make a name for myself but rather was to be a faithful steward of what God has given me and somehow to minister to others, edify the Church, and point those outside the Church to Christ.

God has been answering those prayers and recently has graciously allowed me to be made aware of some of the ways He is answering them. So as I look back over the past year on “An Iris Awaits,” I am reminded of the faithfulness and graciousness of God, not only to be patient with me as I learn the lessons He has to teach, but also to use the feeble offerings of a clay vessel like me to bring words of challenge and encouragement to others.

Looking Ahead

As I look ahead to another year, I am reminded that He has already gone before me into it and will be with me each step of the way through it (Deut. 31:10).  He already knows what will be written here in the year to come, and He will provide the grace to meet each need along the way.

Feedback

So in reviewing the past year and looking toward what lies ahead, I’d love to be able to hear from you:

~ Have there been any posts that you have found particularly challenging or encouraging?

~ Have there been any that have prompted you to think about something you hadn’t thought about before? Or maybe caused you to think about something in a different light than you were used to?

~ Have there been any posts that you disagreed with?

~ Is there anything you’d like me to write about in a future post?

Thank you all for joining me along this journey. I look forward to seeing what lies ahead.

Deflection—the Bad and the Good

Familiar these days is the tendency among the guilty to deflect the blame anywhere but toward themselves. Some plead of ignorance or misunderstanding; some accuse others; some declare, “I had no choice,” or “So-and-so made me do it.”

This practice of blame-shifting is not just common in the 21^st century. Not hardly. In fact, it’s been going on since the beginning of earthly time. Remember what Adam’s defense was when God confronted him with his sin? God asked him directly, “Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” (Genesis 3:11b, ESV).

Sounds like a simple yes-or-no answer to me. But, “The man said, ‘The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate’” (Genesis 3:12, ESV).

Now technically speaking, there was nothing untrue about what Adam said, but notice the order in which he said it. First, he blames God, “reminding” Him that it was He who created Eve in the first place. Next he blames the woman for giving him the fruit. Only then does he confess, “I ate.”

And lest we women out there start getting all high-and-mighty, let’s not forget what Eve’s response to God was when He asked her point-blank, “‘What is this that you have done?’ The woman said, ‘The serpent deceived me, and I ate’” (Genesis 3:13, ESV). Again, a technically true statement but an obvious deflection nonetheless.

Ever since our original ancestors spoke these words, we their descendants have followed in their footsteps. We have perfected the diabolical art of evading responsibility—except, that is, when it comes to accepting praise rather than blame.

Just as we are quick to try to deflect guilt by casting blame away from ourselves, so we are quick to welcome adulation when anything goes right—even if we don’t actually deserve the credit. But one God-follower whose life is recorded in Scripture gives us a wonderful example of deflection of a positive sort.

Let’s take a look at a day in the life of Daniel…

Daniel was a Jew who had been taken to Babylon when his homeland had been invaded by the kingdom from the east. Earlier in his life, he had made a courageous stand with three of his friends to stay true to his convictions and not partake of the sumptuous food given him in the royal training program in which he had been enlisted. This wise decision resulted in his being of better appearance than his peers, and, at the end of his training he and his friends were reckoned as “ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in the kingdom” because of the “learning and skill” God had given them (See Daniel 1).  

That brings us to the day in question when Daniel is taken before Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon who has recently decreed that all the kingdom’s wise men (of whom Daniel was one) be put to death for failing both to identify and to interpret the king’s disturbing dream. Daniel and his three friends have sought the Lord upon learning of this decree, and God has answered their prayers by making known to Daniel the contents of the dream and its meaning (See Daniel 2:1-25).

We meet up with Daniel as he is standing before King Nebuchadnezzar…

“The king declared to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, ‘Are you able to make known to me the dream that I have seen and its interpretation?’” (Daniel 2:26, ESV)

If you were Daniel and you had been asked this question, knowing that previous answers of “no” had elicited an angry death-decree from the imposing regent, how would you have answered? I don’t know about you, but I probably would have quickly answered in the affirmative: “Yes, O king, I can.”

If Daniel had answered that way, he would have been technically truthful, just as Adam and Eve were in their responses to God in Eden. After all, he did, at that point in time, possess the ability to meet the king’s demand. But was that ability intrinsically his? Not even close. Daniel recognized this and was quick to deflect the credit to whom it was due:

“Daniel answered the king and said, ‘No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery that the king has asked, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days . . .” (Daniel 2:27-28a, ESV, emphasis added).

Daniel went on to describe and interpret Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, and the king’s response is striking. Granted, he did “pay homage” to Daniel, but he, a pagan ruler, also “answered and said to Daniel, ‘Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery’” (Daniel 2:47, ESV).

Daniel’s good deflection, then, resulted in God’s receiving praise not only from Daniel’s initial statement but also from Nebuchadnezzar’s response.

So what’s our takeaway from this tale of two deflections?  First, and probably most familiarly, we should avoid blame-shifting and own up to our own errors and sin. But another reminder we don’t hear nearly as often is that we should be faithful to point the praise in the right direction too, namely to God and away from ourselves. After all, isn’t everything we have from Him?

Let’s learn to turn incoming compliments into moments of opportunity to share the glory, goodness, and grace of God. Let’s strive to seek after God to the point where His physical provisions and spiritual blessings are so evident to us that we can’t help but give Him the credit for all we have. In short, let’s be Daniels instead of Adams and Eves.

Lessons from Literature: The Process of Change (Silas Marner)

Literature can be a goldmine of applicable lessons. Sometimes these lessons can be drawn from the narrative itself, where the character’s actions and words provide a teaching point. An example of this kind of lesson can be seen in the first post of this series that examined a portion of Pride and Prejudice.

Other times, however, an author writing from a position of complete knowledge about the characters and storyline (called an omniscient perspective) will include an aside as commentary that often contains profound nuggets of truth. One such authorial comment can be found in George Eliot’s Silas Marner, first published in 1861.

Let’s begin with a little context.

Silas Marner, the protagonist of the story, is a man who has become obsessed with his gold and who would today be called a “loner,” though he was not always one. But circumstances in his life and his own response to them has caused him to reach the point where it can be said of him that “year after year, Silas Marner had lived in this solitude, his guineas rising in the iron pot, and his life narrowing and hardening itself more and more into a mere pulsation of desire and satisfaction that had no relation to any other being” (68).

One day, to Marner’s horror, he finds that he has been robbed of his precious coins, and he ventures out to the local tavern to make the theft known to the community . . .

This strangely novel situation of opening his trouble to his Raveloe neighbors, of sitting in the warmth of a hearth not his own, and feeling the presence of faces and voices which were his nearest promise of help, had doubtless its influence on Marner, in spite of his passionate preoccupation with his loss. Our consciousness rarely registers the beginning of a growth within us any more than without us: there have been many circulations of the sap before we detect the smallest sign of the bud (108, emphasis added).

Here we find Eliot’s moment of reflection as she displays a truth about the nature of change. It’s easy to think of change as something sudden, an abrupt shift in circumstances or attitude. But as this passage from Silas Marner explains, change is often gradual and even imperceptible, particularly when it is internal.

This knowledge can serve as both an encouragement and a warning, for internal change can be either for the better or for the worse. In the case of Marner’s story, the change is a positive growth instigated by a number of factors, one of which is his interaction with his fellow neighbors in seeking their assistance. But negative characteristics can bud and blossom too, and many times they do so in small, incremental steps or “circulations of the sap” that we fail to notice if we are not vigilant.

Maybe you’ve woken up one day to realize that a friend that you’ve been hanging out with has rubbed off on you in a negative way, changing your attitude or outlook for the worse. Maybe you’ve overlooked slip-ups on the “little things” time and time again to the point where you’ve fallen into a strong trap of sinful thoughts or behavior.

Those of us who are followers of Christ should be reminded that we must be alert and mindful that even small decisions can have a powerful and cumulative effect on our growth in holiness and our relationship with God and others. Thankfully, we don’t have to try to “manage” ourselves on our own (although we do have responsibility in the matter). We have the Holy Spirit within us who convicts us when we go astray and has the power to strengthen us so that we can be alert and can resist the little (and big) temptations that come our way.

Even those that do not know Christ for themselves have God’s gracious gift of a conscience that provides internal signals concerning right and wrong, and the same Holy Spirit brings conviction to them, as well, of “sin and righteousness and judgment” (see John 16:8-11).

But there is the other side to the equation, too; not all internal developments are negative. As we saw with Silas Marner, the result of gradual change can be positive as well. Indeed, positive change often is gradual. Believers especially can find encouragement in this truth, knowing that sanctification (i.e. the process of becoming more like Christ) is a process.

When discouragement is knocking at our door and we feel as if we are not growing in holiness at all, we can remember that God “who began a good work in [us] will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6, ESV), and we can be confident that God is always at work “circulating the sap” to produce the buds of holiness and the fruit of the Spirit in our lives.

Citation: Eliot, George. Silas Marner (New York: Penguin, 1985).

Problematic Providentialism: Recognizing It When You See It

Last time, I touched on the topic of providential history and explained the problems it can cause, such as perpetuating a skewed view of God and of the United States. Because providentialism can be so problematic, it’s important that we be able to recognize it when we see it.

Sometimes spotting providentialist language is easy, but other times the cues can be subtle, so let’s take a closer look at the example mentioned last time—Peter Marshall and David Manuel’s The Light and the Glory.

Right off the bat, there’s a big red flag in the banner topping the cover, which reads “God’s Plan for America.” What’s wrong with that? Doesn’t God have a plan? Well, yes, but remember that we move from believing in God’s providence to espousing providentialism when we propose to identify that plan for a specific geopolitical entity, such as America.

At the end of what functions as the first preface, Marshall and Manuel write, “Almost two and a half centuries later, the key to the moral and spiritual crisis now plaguing this country remains: Did God have a plan for America? If He did, then the reason we are wandering in a moral wasteland, no longer knowing who we are, is that we have lost His plan” (12, emphasis original).

First of all, notice that the authors’ diagnosis for America’s rampant immorality is not that individuals do not have a personal, life-changing relationship with Jesus but that we have failed to fulfill God’s plan for us collectively and thus have lost sight of our [supposed] identity as God’s second chosen people. This is a common theme of providential history—a focus on corporate morality and virtue as both a means to and a measure of prosperity instead of on individual regeneration through Christ that leads to increased holiness through sanctification for the purpose of glorifying God. 

But there are other providentialist characteristics in the passage quoted above. Notice the use of the past tense “did” and the final phrase about losing God’s plan. The implication is that God’s purposes can be thwarted by human behavior, which of course is utterly false. While it is true that we can live in a way that is contrary to His will as revealed in Scripture, to suggest that our doing so somehow derails His divine plan for the course of human history is to suggest that God is not truly sovereign. Thus, in this instance, providentialism is directly counter to the doctrine of God’s providence.

Later, the authors suggest that “at times of great crisis God raised up great leaders to protect America from destruction so that His plan for us might have a chance of success” (24). Notice anything fishy here? How about the word “chance”? A theologically sound view of God’s providence includes the understanding that God’s plans will prevail no matter what. They don’t need a chance to succeed; they will succeed. Period.

Another red flag to watch for is selective memory, particularly when it comes to American history. Once again, Marshall and Manuel provide a prime example in a passage that I quoted in the previous post. They stated that “the first settlers consciously thought of themselves as a people called into a covenant relationship with God similar to the one He had established with ancient Israel” (17). The context of this quotation reveals that the authors are referring to the Pilgrims who arrived in America in 1620.

Admittedly, the Pilgrims did come to the New World for primarily religious reasons. But by the time the Pilgrims arrived, the settlement at Jamestown had been in existence for thirteen years and had produced a number of subsequent settlements along the James River (see Hatch 1957). These settlers, while they may or may not have been genuine believers, were certainly motivated by other factors than the desire to expand God’s kingdom on earth.

And that’s just the English settlers. If the Pilgrims were truly God’s chosen people to settle the New World, then what do we make of the Spaniards who settled St. Augustine half a century before? Similarly, Marshall and Manuel identify Columbus as “the person that [God] used to bring Europeans to the Americas,” saying nothing about the Vikings who predated Columbus’s voyage by hundreds of years (19). This kind of picking and choosing only those facts and sources that support their argument is bad history and is also highly frequent in providentialist writings.

In summary, here’s what to watch for: attempts to identify the specifics of God’s plan in the details of historic or current events (aside from those identified in Scripture, e.g. fulfillment of prophecies concerning the coming of Christ), disproportional mentions of morality instead of salvation, conditions placed on the fulfillment of God’s purposes, and selective acknowledgment or dismissal of historic facts and/or original sources.

If you encounter any of these characteristics in articles, books, sermons, television shows, or documentaries, there’s a good chance what you’re dealing with is providentialism.

Citations: Hatch, Charles E. Jr. The First Seventeen Years: Virginia, 1607-1624. Charlottesville, Vir.: University of Virginia Press, 1957. 

Marshall, Peter and David Manuel. The Light and the Glory: 1492-1793. Rev. and expanded ed. Grand Rapids: Revell, 2009.