This email came to me from a woman suffering from a common condition of our time: disappointment and disillusionment. “Dr. Dixie, I really want to believe what God says, but don’t feel like He honors His promises. Preachers— and the Bible—say that long life, prosperity and answered prayer are guaranteed to Christians, but that hasn’t been my experience. My husband divorced me 10 years ago. It seems that God has sabotaged every relationship I’ve had since. I’m lonely, and I want children, but when ask, I hear nothing from Him. I’m disillusioned and angry with God. I don’t feel like I can trust Him at all.”
Any time we suffer dis-illusionment, it’s an indication that we’ve believed in an illusion: a dream usually built on imagination and feelings. Dis-illusionment is painful, but is necessary for living in reality. God is God of reality, and we cannot receive His help and provision in the unreality of illusion.
God’s desire to answer prayer and provide for His children is not a vague “hope-so”. It’s a settled, unbreakable promise. So why do we immediately blame God when it seems our prayers aren’t answered?
Over several decades, an illusion called “entitlement” has flooded American culture. It says, “Life shouldn’t be hard” and “You owe me”. That attitude is apparent in the work force: employees who believe they deserve top pay for minimum effort. It’s visible in broken marriages: men and women who expect marriage to “make me happy” are disappointed and angry when happiness is not automatic and immediate. They abandon the marriage, often after only a few months or years.
The illusion is evident as people flit from church to church, looking for a pastor who will “feed me”, “encourage me” or “build me up”. We often take that attitude into how we pray, ask, demand and expect from God.
Jesus lived His earthly life fully trusting His Father’s desire and ability to provide. God knew exactly what needed to be accomplished, but it could not have been done if Jesus, fully human and empowered by the same Holy Spirit who now empowers believers, had not done His part.
God is not a “magician” on life’s stage, waving a magic wand to randomly produce great relationships, vibrant health and wholeness in every area while we live in ignorance, rebellion and apathy. The Gospels show that each person healed by Jesus had a part to do; something that nearly always must have looked impossible to the one seeking healing. Life with Jesus means we do our part in His strength, while He does the part we cannot do. It’s partnership, not “Christian magic”.
We are designed to communicate and live in partnership with God. We have God-given authority over all creation, including our own minds, bodies, jobs and relationships. Continuing to smoke while asking God to heal cancerous lungs; expecting Him to take away headaches or chronic fatigue without making necessary lifestyle and diet changes; asking Him to restore relationships without changing our own attitudes: these all indicate entitlement—we think God should do what we want, when we want it, without effort on our part.
We aren’t puppets controlled by an irritable puppet-master. Consistent failure in one or more areas indicates the need to stop blaming God and others, and carefully evaluate personal attitudes and behavior.
God’s absolutely perfect and unchangeable nature eternally guarantees He will never fail or be untruthful. We can be confident that His work in our circumstances is good, even when we can’t immediately see what He’s doing.
Biblical Guidance ministry through Infinite Grace Ministries teaches how to deepen our trust of God in uncertain times, as we learn of God’s amazing love and tender compassion. Your tax-deductible gift makes YOU a partner, providing life changing training for those in crisis; underwriting ministry cost for those in financial crisis. Monthly auto-debit is available. Call 580-774-2884 for more information.
