Making less of God makes more of me.  Do you believe that to be true?

A recent story of a conversation with a friend…

 He asked me if I believed the Bible “literally.”

“Why, yes, I do,” I replied.  “I’m okay with taking the Bible ‘literally’ (as he phrased it).”

Surprised by answer, he asked, “So you’re okay with believing that the world was really created in a week?”

“Yes, I am.”

“You’re okay with angels and demons?  And the Flood and the Ark?” he clarified.

“Yes, I am.”

Do you know why?

To believe in God, one has to believe in His being all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-present.  If one does not believe it’s in God’s power to “literally” perform those works described in the Bible, then I would suggest that God is then limited in His powers.  In that case, God would be no God at all.

This applies to creation, the Great Flood, the Exodus, David and Goliath…all of our favorite stories.  It applies to Jesus coming to live on this Earth and die for our sins.  It applies to our salvation thru Him:  “the way, the truth, and the light”  (John 14:6).

Why is my friend, along with so many others, limiting the power of God?  In his mind, perhaps not consciously, making less of God makes more of him.  Making less of God empowers my intellect, my reasoning, my personal narrative.  After all, following my personal narrative is the #1 objective of my life.  Right?  That’s what society would have me to believe.

 But the truth is that making less of God only makes less of us.  We cannot understand ourselves without God.

After all, we were fashioned uniquely in His image, to love and abide with Him.  To serve Him and each other.  God makes more of me thru Him.

As the old saying goes, “If you can’t find room for God in your life, then you must be full of yourself.”

• Scripture / Doctrine