Following the Formula

I think the term godly is over used. I hear it applied almost flippantly, "godly girls", "godly guys", "the gorgeous godly women of ........" I look at the group in question,and while they may in deed be nice people, I am usually left wondering if "godly" really means "nice people with cute shoes" or "clean cut guys whom still say Yes Mam." There is nothing wrong with these descriptions, but I don't think it makes people "godly." Some how, I can't imagine Christ teaching that as long as you are basically good, and attend church on a regular basis, you are well on the way to Christlike. Andy Stanley shares in one of his Bible studies, that most Christians replace true faith with a formula "pray, pray, fast, fast, go to church." And, then hope God does what they are asking. We kind of miss that real faith is doing what God asks of us and not the other way around. So, the million dollar question seems to be " If there are so many "godly" people out there, why aren't we asking God what He wants us to do instead of just telling him what we think we need?"

The women's Bible study group I meet with at church is an interesting mix of women. First off, no one in the group was born and raised in our church. For a small congregation in the middle of no where, this is pretty unique. Secondly, everyone in the group has met with some really big life challenges- cancer, death of a child, physical abuse etc. Perhaps because of this, all of us have a pretty long list of bad "advice" given to us by fellow Christians. As a general rule, I think alot of us just make other Christians uncomfortable. Sort of like the story of Job, if God can let that happen to them, what about me? A fellow church member once told me she didn't want to pray for God to direct her because she really liked where she was and was afraid God would want her someplace else. Following the formula. Asking for God's blessing, but not real faith. Honestly, don't I, don't we all, sometimes want to be the good girl with cute shoes instead of struggling to follow in faith?

Somewhere along the way, most Christians seem to have bought into the prosperity gospel or other variations. We want desperately to believe that as long as everything flows easily along, we must be in God's will. After all, God is a parent and don't parents want their children to be happy? Of course we do, but my children would be happiest if I let them watch hours of TV, never wear sunscreen and live on junk food. We want to believe that the people like those in my Bible study suffer because they have issues or (sins) that God is dealing with. Rick Warren points out just the opposite in his book The Purpose Driven Life, "If Satan hasn't been attacking you lately, maybe it is because you aren't a danger." Now there's a thought to chew on.

Lately I am really feeling God pushing me. The usual church view seems to say I stepped out in faith to bring home a child with severe special needs and now God will reward you through her miraculous healing. We pray for this nightly. But, what if God has another plan? What if God is using this to develop my patience, to strengthen my family, to make us unselfish? What if God is more glorified through L's disability than through her healing? What if faith means continuing to follow even when, as with Abram, the path is not clear to me? For a control freak like me, this is a tough one. What if I have to let God drive, and my job is to make the most of the journey?

Being "godly" is hard work. Sometimes letting go is harder than holding on. In the end,"godly" really just comes down to one question "When people see me or you, what do they see first?"

I'm very much a daily work in progress.