God has given us the ability to reason and the power to make things happen. But we must not let this go to our heads and start assuming the story we’re living is ultimately about us. Our small story is merely a part of the larger story God is telling. And we risk becoming self-arrogant when we attempt to live otherwise.
On the one hand, it’s only right and mature to shape the direction of our life as best as we can, as our act of faith and the exercise of freedom. It’s immature and lazy to just wait on things to happen to us. But his dignity of causation that God has given us must be rightly understood and applied. And we’ve gone too far when we start leaning on our own understanding and taking matters into our own hands apart from God.
This is King Saul who didn’t wait on Samuel as he was instructed, but felt compelled to make a burnt offering on his own. Perhaps this was a mix of fear and pride – the fear of what might happen if he didn’t act, and the pride to assume he was free to act beyond what God had commanded. And all too often we’re prone to do the same.
When things are not working out as we envisioned then we assume it’s up to us to make something happen without asking or even considering what God might be up to. We’re more concerned about things making sense to us and we fail to live by faith – no longer trusting God’s wisdom and the story he’s telling beyond our ability to understand it. As such, we become self-arrogant and shortsighted. We want things to work out on our terms when God is orchestrating things for a much larger purpose.
In the end, continue to reason and make things happen without becoming self-arrogant. The story you’re living is still ultimately about God and his glory. Live by faith without assuming you know best.
Photo by lucas Favre on Unsplash
