Edwards On Our Thoughts of God

In order to restore any relationship we must first identify what is the real problem. So it is with our relationship with God. So let me ask you a question: What would you say is mankind’s basic problem with God? Allow me to state it more directly: What would you say is your basic problem with God? Jonathan Edwards, an American thinker from the 1700’s, suggests the following: “The thing at bottom is, that men have low thoughts of God, and high thoughts of themselves; and therefore it is that they look upon God as having so little right, and they so much.”

I think Edwards is right. I have noticed that in any relational rift the first effect on our minds is to lower the value of the other person and thus become incredibly confused as to who we are and what we deserve. How true this is in our relationship with God! We become so confused that we actually put ourselves in God’s place, demanding to determine the rules for the world that He has made. For example, we tend to insist that
He has no right to judge, or if He has a right to judge it must be on our terms, by the standard that seems right to us. By such demands we assume ourselves to be the owner of the universe and God our employee. Imagine that! Us telling God what He must do! If the matter were not so serious, it would be absolutely comical.

Something to think about from “The Kingdom Perspective.”

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

~ Proverbs 1: 7