How Do You See God?

I’ve recently had conversations with several different people that got me thinking about a Sunday school lesson I taught years ago. The topic was the various ways in which people view God. It’s an important question, for how we see God can have a great impact on how we live our daily lives.

Non-believers, of course, generally see God as just another fictional character on par with Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny, so they give Him little thought as they go through their days. We’ll leave them out of this particular discussion. Of much more concern is the way Christians think about the Almighty.

Let’s consider a few of those.

Some people see God as a huge, cosmic vending machine. They think they can buy or barter for God’s favor. Like in the movies when someone promises God, if He will only do whatever they need at the moment, they’ll promise to go to church every Sunday for the rest of their lives. They put in their coins, select their prize, and wait for God to deliver. And if the results don’t satisfy, they pitch a fit, bang on the machine with their fists, and cry about the unfairness of it all. These people tend to run to God when they need something, and ignore Him the rest of the time.

Others see God as some distant creative genius who invented everything we see around us, but then got bored and abandoned us while He went on to his next project. (Makes me think of the old Bette Midler song that proclaims God is watching us – from a distance. Beautiful, but not theologically accurate.) People like this tend to give little or no thought to this negligent God. They acknowledge His existence, but think that He doesn’t care about them, so why should they care about Him.

A lot of people see God as some stern, old, white-haired judge with gavel in hand just waiting to pronounce us guilty and lay down the maximum sentence for our crimes. This is the God the Liberals love to talk about. According to them (and their twisted world view), He hates everybody, especially the LBGTQ folks, and He can hardly wait to punish us for our sins. These are the people who fear God and blame Him for every trial that comes their way. Why hold yourself accountable, when you can blame God, the mean, old man upstairs?

Then there are the ones who think of God as the teacher or principal who just wants us to sit still, listen and learn, and turn in our homework on time. Or maybe the old school assistant principal walking the halls with a wooden paddle sticking out from his back pocket looking for the latest rule breaker in need of correction. While we’re on the school theme, how about the coach striding up and down the sidelines alternately screaming encouragement and instructions, and occasionally throwing a clipboard or water bottle in anger and frustration. Again, these people see God as controlling our lives and handing out failing grades as He judges our actions.

I believe there are much better ways to think of God. Maybe you see God as a friend or a brother, a constant companion who will always be there to support and defend you against all others. Or perhaps, you see Him as the Holy Spirit living within us, providing everything we need to make it through each day.

And of course, as Christians, we are frequently reminded to see God as our father. That of course, opens up a whole separate can of worms. Those who have grown up with absent or abusive earthly fathers often find it difficult to relate to God as father, at least in a positive way, but most find comfort in viewing God as a loving father who genuinely cares for his children.

Sadly, when bad things happen, regardless of our view, we have a tendency to get mad and blame God and feel as if He has somehow disappointed us! Often, this happens because we have tried to make God in our own image - created our own form of idol worship where we are in charge and God is expected to follow our lead!

Truthfully, for most of us, the most honest answer to the question is that our view changes at different times in our lives and in different situations. As a Christian I prefer the positive view. I like to think of God as the Spirit that fills me, the Friend who walks beside me, and the loving Father who watches over me daily. This is the God I believe in, and this is how I see Him. I would encourage you to do the same!

The Greatest of All Time

In any professional sport, there will always be some debate about the designation of the GOAT – the Greatest Of All Time. Although there are a few sports which have a clear choice, in many, there are differing opinions, and often legitimate arguments to be made for various individuals.

In football, Tom Brady is considered by most fans to be the GOAT, although there are still people who prefer Joe Montana, or even some of the players from previous generations, such as the great Jim Brown. The NFL has certainly had some great players, but it’s hard to overlook Brady’s record.

One of the hottest current debates centers around the NBA. Despite the accomplishments of LeBron James, many (including myself) will always look no further than Michael Jordan when seeking the sport’s GOAT. Or why not Kobe Bryant, Wilt Chamberlain, or Bill Russell?

In hockey, there are Wayne Gretsky fans and others who support Gordie Howe. In soccer, there are several names usually mentioned including Lionel Messi, Landon Donovan, Diego Maradondo, or even the renowned Pele from years past.

Boxing has Muhammed Ali, baseball has Babe Ruth, golf has Jack Nicklaus (or Tiger Woods), and men’s tennis has Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, or Novak Djokovic. Or maybe a legendary great such as Rod Laver. Sometimes it really is difficult to decide on a single person. Another huge debate is in the sport of women’s tennis. The recently retired Serena Williams is certainly one of the greatest female tennis players of all time, but not everyone would agree that she is the best ever.

Margaret Court could be considered the GOAT. So could Martina Navratilova. I have a hard time thinking of anyone more dominant in her time than Steffi Graf. Or maybe Serena really is the greatest, but it’s not as clear cut as some people would think.

I suppose the hardest aspect of the debate (in any sport) is the reality that it is nearly impossible to compare players from different eras. Things change. Rules change. Equipment changes. The level of competition varies. I guess that’s why so many people try to base the decision purely on statistics. That of course leads to even more debate.

The problem there is longevity. Any player who performs at a high enough level, and stays healthy and active over a long period of time will invariably accumulate some impressive statistics. That’s a given. And those records that result are worthy accomplishments. BUT, such records alone don’t necessarily prove that a particular player is better than others who may have had comparatively shorter careers. And being Good for a very long time, doesn’t necessarily make one Great.

And (IMHO) no offense to LeBron or Serena, but athletes who nominate themselves, campaign for the designation, or feel the need to argue in favor of themselves? You’re probably not the GOAT. Just saying.

 

Why Trump Shouldn’t Run for President in 2024

 

I find myself hoping more and more these days that Donald Trump decides not to run for President in 2024. I proudly supported him for President in both 2016 and 2020. (Which for some of you immediately marks me as some crazy person.) At the moment, President Biden and his party are trying as hard as they can to label any Conservative, Republican, or Independent who ever supported Trump as some Alt-Right, Far-Right, Skinhead, Nazi, Domestic MAGA Terrorist.) They refuse to admit that many (who may not have liked the man personally) were just glad to have a President who was actually Pro-America.

Regardless of his personality, which often irritates even his own followers, Trump was very conservative in his policies. He was for energy independence, legal immigration, lower taxes, fair trading with foreign countries, and a strong military among other things. He was good for the country in many ways and the economy was booming until the COVID pandemic hit. Unfortunately, the Biden administration has done everything possible to undo all the good accomplished by President Trump.

Nevertheless, despite my sincere hopes for a return to normalcy in our country, I don’t think Trump should run again in 2024 for the following reasons:

1. The Democrats won’t let him win. In 2020, they found/produced/scrounged up a record 82+ million votes for the worst candidate in the history of politics. (You know, the one who ran from his basement and hardly even bothered to campaign.) Legal/Illegal, Ethical/Unethical, Whatever. They did it. They got away with it. And they’ll do it again. Their hatred for Trump knows no bounds. And whatever it takes, they will never let him back in the White House.

(If you don’t believe me, consider the current vendetta they are waging against Trump. Never in our history has an ex-President ever faced this kind of treatment. Why? Because they fear he will run again and win. That very possibility has fueled their non-stop campaign to find any way to take him down.)

2. The RINOS won’t let him win. Whatever you think about the Democratic Party, at least they are consistently united. The Moderate Democrats (if there ever were any) have sold their souls to the Squad, and the party votes 100% in favor of whatever wild and crazy ideas are put forward by the leadership. On the other hand, enough Republicans are in the Never Trump group to ensure that he will never get the full support he needs from his own Party. And it’s hard to imagine winning an election when you can’t even count on your own team to play to win.

3. There are other Conservative candidates who have a better chance to win. The Democrats have no viable options who could win in a fair election. (Biden again? Kamala? Mayor Pete? Bernie? Pocahontas?) Without the Bogeyman (DT) to run against, the Democrats will have to actually have a real candidate, and I don’t think they can find one right now. Meanwhile, the Republicans have a number of interesting possibilities including Ron DeSantis, Mike Pence, Ted Cruz, Nikki Haley, and several others. The top 10 Republican presidential candidates for 2024, ranked - The Washington Post Without the huge number of people who would vote against Trump (instead of for the other candidate), Republicans have a much greater chance of recapturing the White House in 2024.

Therefore, I really hope that Trump decides to swallow his pride, rein in his ego, and bow out. I would love to see him rally his base, and throw his full support behind another candidate who can win the election and put our country back on a sane course (before it’s too late!)

We need an end to the identity politics and the division caused by the current administration. We need to get rid of the Democrats who are trying to turn our country into just another failed socialism experiment. We need someone who can deal with the economy, immigration, energy, foreign policy, and taxes. Sadly, I don’t believe Trump is the guy anymore. It’s time for some fresh blood on both sides of the aisle.