Math is not my strong suit.
I have to smile as I write these words. And I know my husband will be howling with laughter when he reads this. I’m so much NOT a numbers girl, I’m almost handicapped.
At least that’s what I’d thought.
But I’ve recently discovered that my view of God is filtered through an algebraic mind-set. And when I first noticed the signs, I went into immediate denial. There was no way it could be true.
But the evidence is irrefutable.
Without realizing it, I’ve put God in a box, bracketing him inside equations. And I’m betting a lot of you may have as well.
Let me see if you’re familiar with these two logical—spiritual—equations I’m referring to:
Following the Rules + Making the Right Decisions = Living a Blessed Life
Sinning + Bad Decisions = Living a Troubled Life
On the surface these two equations look pretty good. But begin to dig deeper and you realize that rather than finding God’s truth in the equations above, I’ve become tangled in a lie.
I’ve traded the Truth of God for fairness and tried to call it justice.
God is so much more than fair. His love destroys such a simplistic concept and replaces it with grace.
Along with that comes things I can’t understand—good people who suffer and bad people granted eternal life. At times this world looks like it rewards those who cheat and punishes the one that do the right thing.
But I’ve discovered I don’t have to understand to trust Him.
You may wonder where I find the evidence for hope. I find it all around me. I’ve seen it played out in my life and the lives of those around me. Beyond that I see examples of it on almost every page of the Bible. God proves over and over again that He gives us so much more than the condemnation that we deserve.
So how about you—have you fallen for some bad math?
Edie Melson—author, blogger, and speaker—has a passion to help those who are struggling find the God-given strength they need to triumph through difficult circumstances. Connect with her at www.EdieMelson.com