Do You Think God Is Too Demanding?
Have you ever been tempted to think that God just expects too much, asks too much, or controls too much?
I definitely wrestled with these thoughts growing up as a Christian. I misunderstood that the Bible—God’s Word—was all about rules & control.
But then, when I considered how, yes, He expected & asked for holiness & perfection… but how He also made a way to restore us knowing we couldn’t keep up our end. He loved us so much that He made the way for us when we couldn’t.
So, that sort of tilts the whole idea of God being on some power trip… because He could easily have kept Jesus from coming & just let us all pay the consequences of our own choices—HELL… & death in this life as well.
God Owns All, Is Deserving of All, & Judgment Day Will Come–No Matter What You Want to Believe
Today, I want us to consider Mark 12, which highlights 3 points regarding His deserving:
- Him as the One to Whom all belongs,
- Giving to “Caesar” what belongs to “Caesar” but to God, what belongs to God (us, our hearts, our lives, our all), &
- How we will all face God someday as the Righteous Judge & we ought to know whether we’re ready to meet Him.
When we are tempted to think of God on a cosmic power trip, we must consider that He made everything, owns everything, & that He alone has the right to judge it all—PLUS, He sent JESUS.
It’s True Though… God Has Expectations of Us
But even though God made a way for us to be free from the consequences of our own wrong choices, God still expects us to express love to Him through our obedience to Him… & sometimes it’s true that He asks some hard things of us (but not without His offer to help).
Sometimes it’s having a willingness to leave everything behind to follow His lead, like Abraham did when God called him (Genesis 12:1-4)… or like many missionaries throughout history.
Sometimes it’s letting God define our identity rather than trying to make that call ourselves–even & especially when our way seems so “true to self” &/or “authentic.”
Sometimes it’s being willing to die for His Truth to be shared with a hope-seeking world, like so many of Jesus’ disciples & the many martyrs throughout history.
Sometimes it’s accepting a life of ridicule from those you care about & want to please the most to stand for the hope you know is True & worth living for.
Sometimes it’s being willing to serve where it’s not so glamorous & where you get close to zero recognition &/or praise. (I think at least a few of my mom friends have felt this way at least at some point—can you relate to that?)
Whatever it is that God is asking of you to walk in obedience to Him… maybe it doesn’t feel good or make you look good or goes against everything you’ve always wanted or believed. And you may be tempted to think that God is quite demanding & controlling.
But God is not demanding. He’s deserving.
What Makes God Deserving?
He made you… knit you together in fact. And He knows all your days before one ever took place. (Psalm 139:13-16) Only He gets to say “who you are.”
He can number every hair on your head. (Matthew 10:30)
He is LORD of Heaven & Earth. He MADE Heaven & Earth & everything in it. (Acts 17:24-25)
He is before time & will exist eternally after time. (Colossians 1:17; Genesis 1:1; 1 Timothy 1:17)
He knows absolutely everything there is to know or ever will be to know & has perfect understanding & wisdom to navigate through it all wisely. (Romans 11:33; Proverbs 2:6)
He holds absolute authority. (2 chronicles 20:6)
AND He sent Jesus to pay all of your debts to reconcile you to Himself if you believe on Jesus to cover your debt & declare Him as your LORD. (Romans 5:8; John 3:16-17)
Don’t Underestimate Your Need of Him
Maybe you grew up always trying to be a good person & you think, “what debt, Michelle? I always have tried to be a good person & do right things & not be a troublemaker. My debt, if any, isn’t really that big a deal.”
Yeah, growing up in the church, especially, my pride tempts me to think that way too sometimes.
But sin is really the idea of “missing the mark,” of not always, in every single moment of every single day having every thought, attitude, & action be pleasing & honoring to God. I don’t think ANY of us can claim THAT–I know I can’t.
We’re not comparing ourselves to other flawed humans.
No, we’re comparing ourselves to the One & only perfect, holy GOD ALMIGHTY.
And on THAT comparison, to say I fall short is a HUGE understatement.
He is PERFECT & HOLY. I am not worthy to even have Him consider me. (Psalm 8:3-4; Isaiah 6:1-5; Job 40:1-14; Ephesians 3:8; John 1:27)
I am the undeserving one.
God Is Not Demanding, He’s DESERVING
And yet, He knew that & He sent Jesus to cover my debt to Him & ALL I HAVE TO DO to receive it is repent (admit, confess, turn from) my sin against Him & believe on JESUS to be the covering for that sin (versus trying to be it yourself—because you will never quite measure up). (Acts 3:19; 1 John 1:8-9; Ephesians 2:8-9; John 3:16-17; Romans 10:9)
And, oh yeah, get this: Every single thing He commands us… IS FOR OUR ULTIMATE GOOD. (Romans 8:28; Deuteronomy 10:12-13)
AND every single thing He asks of us, He ALSO offers to be our supply in the doing of it. (2 Peter 1:3-4)
So, considering ALL THAT, to even imply that the Bible is a display of a major power trip of God’s is just quite frankly insulting.
God is not demanding. He’s DESERVING.
He Gives His All So We May Give Our All to & for Him
Wow. In all my underserving, my pride, my underestimating Him & neglecting to praise Him as often as He honestly deserves… He gives His all for me.
God is NOT demanding. He’s deserving.
So, if you want to scream your “rights” in wanting to live YOUR life YOUR way–even in just how you spend your free time aka my struggle (it’s not your life) & live by your determination of YOUR “true, authentic self…” (only HE knows what that is, because HE made you)—if it goes against what God says—you WILL pay the price for that “missing the mark” because if it goes against what HE, as YOUR CREATOR says… it’s automatically wrong.
I Don’t Give Him the Praise He Deserves
He offers payment in full. Full forgiveness. Full debt forgiveness. A fresh start.
You don’t have to “clean yourself up first” or “prove you mean it” by conquering certain things first.
You just have to be willing to accept that you are NOT enough & that ONLY He is. And repent of your way & trust on Jesus’ payment & have a desire to live for God’s way.
Shine HOPE by not apologizing for God’s commands, but rather pointing to His deserving in all things.
Coming Next Week
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Identity Quartz Necklace (Guatemala)
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