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Self-Responsible AND God-Dependent
Brian Mashburn
April 15, 2018
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Self-Responsible or God-Dependent?
Big question: Are you responsible for your life or is God responsible for your life?
As we continue our journey into the mind-bending world of spiritual paradox, today we consider two more seemingly opposite, contradictory ideas that are both found in the Bible: (1) You are responsible, and (2) God is responsible.
Think about how often this comes up:
Concerning the poor, the elderly, the alien, and the stranger, am I to take it upon myself to remedy these issues, or do I peacefully entrust them to God?
What about those who are spiritually lost? Am I responsible for getting the good news, with its accompanying hope, to them, or is that what God is taking responsibility for?
If we asked Jesus simply about our own spiritual growth and maturity, we would have to conclude that…
You must be self-responsible. He says so in Matthew Matt 6:33 – "Seek his kingdom and his righteousness, and these things will be given to you." You must seek.
But not so fast. We would also have to conclude that...
You must be God-dependent. He says so in John 6:44 - "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him." God must draw you.
As we are finding out, God’s revelation teaches concepts that appear to be mutually exclusive, and yet we are challenged to learn that "either-or" can be "both-and" in God's higher reality. It's time to think. To love God with all of our minds. Remember, you cannot be spiritually mature without understanding and embracing paradox.