Who hasn’t heard the phrase “holy guacamole Batman”? Especially if you were born during the era I grew up. Looking back on it now it all seems so corny. Like MacGyver accomplishes magnificent feats with just a pair of pantyhose, or Luke Duke being able to fly his car over an entire pond with the aid of only a small hill.
Yet we crave these unbelievable schemes and believe that somehow they can be true.
I wonder just how often we bring this mindset into our spiritual lives. It’s just the idea that we can accomplish great things with just a simple word. Or the belief we can fly over trials with the aid of only a little prayer hill.
Am I guilty, yes unfortunately I am? Guilty as charged.
I am so caught up sometime in the sensationalism of the life (good or bad) that I forget that God is the only one that can create order from the chaos.
At the close of the day what God is really searching for and longing to see is faith. Jesus wondered if He would find faith on the earth. Luke 18:8 He wasn’t or isn’t looking for miracles, or good preaching, singing or testifying. He is looking for faith. Without faith it’s impossible to please Him Hebrews 11:6
We on the other hand want tangible yet unreal something’s we can attest to, that we can hold onto. Something that we can say aha, see that worked. If you don’t believe me take a trip to the nearest bookstore and count how many rows of self-help shelves there are.
The biggest lie I tell myself constantly is that I am moving by faith all the while I know I am trying to cover up my hand reaching into the cookie jar of self-help.
You see if I pray enough, I will gain more of God’s power; right?
If I read God’s word constantly, I will have God’s knowledge of all things; right?
If I go to church enough, I will get on God’s good side; right?
If I pay tithes, I will open the flow of God’s blessing in my life; right?
If I give offerings above my tithes, then I for sure will have God’s favor, right?
Can you be honest enough to say that at least one thing on the list, and it’s a short list , because I could go on & on with it, can you say, yep I’ve done that or I’m doing that?
Aren’t these generally what those corny shows of yesteryear were doing? Trying to make something great come about through unreal means?
Is anything on my list bad? Nope. But if you’re doing any of the above things for any reason other than loving God with all of your heart, then, yep it’s not good.
Salvation is a free gift, not of my will to have it, but of God’s will to give it.
I wouldn’t have asked for salvation because I’m always busy trying to do something special to earn it. I’m way more comfortable in the working for salvation than I am at actually receiving and enjoying it by faith as the gift it really is.
I would rather my destiny be in my own hands than in hands I can’t begin to control. I would rather be like the idol worshippers of old who thought the worshipping was in the doing rather than in the surrender. Surely it’s madness to leave yourself vulnerable to the hands of a Cosmic giant you can’t see.
Let’s just be honest, to surrender is to say go ahead do what you will, and we definitely don’t want that. If you don’t believe me, again take a trip to aforementioned bookstore and count the rows of self-help shelves.
After all if I fail at least it would be because I didn’t do enough, right? It wouldn’t be because God never offered me a free gift. If I fail then I’m not beholding to anyone but myself, right?
Wrong!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If I fail then I’m lost for eternity. If I fail then I have refused the free gift God gave. If I fail then I have rejected God’s Son and the great price He paid for my freedom.
Wrong!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If I fail then I’m lost for eternity. If I fail then I have refused the free gift God gave. If I fail then I have rejected God’s Son and the great price He paid for my freedom.
Wait a minute you say, I don’t do that, I surrender to Christ in all things. I read my bible out of love for God. I pray to have fellowship with my Creator and I go to church because I want to be in His house. I pay tithe because I love to give and I know that it feeds my pastor and the staff and keeps me sitting in comfortable chairs in the air conditioned building.
Whoop whoop for you, I’m proud of you. Sincerely proud of you if its’ true.
For the rest of us who struggle to roll out of bed on Sunday Morning, who barely find time to read one verse much less chapters. Those of us who struggle to say prayers that aren’t full of help ME’s and pay tithes that we don’t grumble about. This blog is for you.
I am finally realizing what I should have known all along, that even if I get down on the floor every single day throwing a temper tantrum worthy of an Oscar, it will never change the love God has for me. It will not keep me from heaven, likewise my perfect obedience in everything will not get me there either.
It is totally 100% God alone.
I could stop there because it’s really self-explanatory but for those who are hard headed like me. It means that I can’t earn my salvation by any tangible ability or work nor can I lose it by any intangible ability or work.
Salvation was freely given, it is freely received and it is an eternal gift.
For that I breathe a sigh of relief, because there are just sometimes I really want to say holy guacamole God, what are you doing?
There are sometimes I want to jump over a trial without the aid of a sufficient ramp. Just like the movies it will be corny, unrealistic and most importantly, will not work.
The kind of faith that moves God is the kind of faith that accepts the unexplainable endures the unimaginable and trust in the unchangeableness of God & His word.
My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus blood and righteousness….
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
I will leave you with this thought from Dr. Adrian Rodgers
“Are we created in God’s image or is God created in our imagination?”
I’m hid with Christ!
Shawn
Searching Gods Heart 
