Is That All There Is? (Updated from 5/25/2014)

"Opportunity is missed by most people because it dresses in overalls and looks like work."

-- Thomas Edison

I have heard much discussion from people about an inability to get ahead in life, concerns that this is all there is and that people are tired of taking two steps forward and three steps back.  I was reminded of the young millennial that went to a Christian rock concert and was asked to raise his arms and accept Jesus into his life, which he did.  He experienced no fireworks, no warm glow of the Holy Spirit filling his soul, nothing.  He left disillusioned in Christ and God.  He now considers himself an agnostic, bordering on atheism.  Really?  Maybe it was the expectation that blinded him.

Consider that this young person was called to task, and not by Jesus or God; this young man was tasked by his desires for something more in his life, something larger than himself, something greater than nothing.  He now sought to blame the power he wanted to be a part of his life.  

The thought that came to my mind when I heard this story? "How selfishly typical of a young person."  

His faith was not all that if he immediately jumped at a letdown.  Why wasn't his first concern to question his strength of faith?  He seems to be more in need of a scapegoat to blame for his life being crap.  Personally, I think God helps those that help themselves. My humble opinion?  This "slacker" was found wanting.  In truth, he was found wanting by himself.  It used to be thought that if you didn't feel the "Holy Spirit" enter your life, you just weren't ready yet; it wasn't your time.  Nowadays, it's an excuse to do what everyone has found to be the easy way out - blaming someone else for any serious lack of effort on their part.

"Waiting for God to 'do something' is a colossal waste of time and missing the point.

Let's be honest. When we say we are waiting for God (being all sanctimonious and all like we deserve a prize for demonstrating patience toward God), what we're really waiting for is results. And not just any results. We're waiting for the results that we think should occur. I'll get a better job. My kid will finally make something of himself and quit asking me for money. My friend will be cured of cancer. Even if the things we are waiting for are great, wonderful, justified things, we're still waiting on things - not God. That is believing in God as a dangling carrot, not the God of the present.

Be with the God of the present. Open your heart to receive the life-affirming, eternal Love that grounds our existence. Open your eyes to see the beauty in the now, even in the worst of times. Sometimes such beauty seems like a mere glint in the midst of darkness, but it is there. Open your ears to hear the still voice of the Spirit calm and guide you."

-- Rachel L. Roberts 

This young man is now "moving forward" with his life. He has found motivation and purpose. More important, he has given up religion in favor of atheism. He still has missed the point. 

God moves in mysterious ways, my friends, and God does not necessarily show you what is done, as it is up to you to see the glory of it. This young man was gifted what he hoped for, a second chance, and he totally missed the miracle of it all as he was so focused on seeing no miracle happen. He was so focussed on his selfish desire he couldn't see the forest for the trees. He left the Christian concert in the park and went home. It will probably never occur to him that even this amount of faith could change his life.  His "gift" was God showing him a path of self-sufficiency. It will never occur to him that all the good he accomplishes, from this point forward, might be the hand of the Creator, opening his mind to possibilities. He was too selfish.  He is another example of "children" continuing to miss the point and their path... because it is so much easier not to search.

"This means that the work of God must actually begin with God. Many times this means careful discernment; most often this means a renewed sense of opportunity. Opportunity is abounding around us, if we simply have eyes to see. It is in the midst of opportunity that we discover the grease-stained mechanic, cranking away at the rusted-out carburetors of down-trodden society, and breathing life back into the spark plugs of the human soul. It is in opportunity that we discover invitation, as that mechanic stretches forth his grime-encrusted hand and invites us to come look at the engine…But work, in proper perspective, is a relationship. And the mechanic is waiting."

--T.E. Hannah

God, the mechanic, reached out at this young man's invitation with the answers he so desired.  In his selfishness, the young man ignores a miracle that occurs in his life.  He misses the glory that is God.  When it comes time for you to begin your search for something better, to lift yourself up from where you are in life, and to consider having faith in something larger than yourself, don't look so hard for a "savior" to ease your lot.  If you are constantly looking for God, you will miss the opportunities presented for you to consider... by God.  You are already saved. According to scripture, Jesus did that for you, on the cross. Now you have to realize it and figure out what to do next.

Miracles happen around us all the time, but if we are too focused on selfish desires, we will surely miss them.  The next time you have to go back inside for your glasses before driving to work and then pass a deadly, multiple-car accident that happened just a minute before you arrive at the scene, think about the minute it took for you to go back in the house for your glasses.  Ask yourself, what plan does God have for you that your life meant so much?

Editor's Note

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch - it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either view any more right or wrong than the other. Opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form their own opinions if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider an alternate viewpoint.

I fervently hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion, in an arena of mutual respect, concerning those opinions offered. After over twenty years of military intelligence, I believe that engaging each other in this manner, and in this arena, is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience... and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. Following his service career, he spent 17 years working with the premier, and world-renowned, Western Institutional Review Board, helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. 

Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As a weapon for his war on intolerance, he chose the pen. He wages his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's personal, spiritual path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteered as the lead chaplain at a regional medical center.

Feel free to contact Pastor Tony at: tolerantpastor@gmail.com