Dealing with God

There is a classic scene from the movie “The End”, where Burt Reynolds is trying to swim to shore from deep water. Convinced he is about to die, he starts making deals with God. As he approaches the shore, and he feels begins to feel safer, with the effect of him going back on all of his promises. While hilarious, it portrays the sad fact that people think they only need God when they need help. When the family is happy and healthy, the boss is friendly and the pay is good, why would I have any need for God? I too fall so easily into this trap.

The Bible says that God wants us to “rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thess 5:16-18). If God is only someone we talk to or serve when we think it will help us, he really is no god to us at all. He is simply a tool to get us what we truly want: wealth, health or to the shore safely. The God of the bible is one who is worth chasing after for His own sake. The good news that we have in Jesus is not that we can have power, or success, or simply a free ticket to heaven. The Good News is that we can have God and be considered His friend. It is only by knowing this God, in good times and bad, that we can truly “rejoice always”.

Chappy Dan Bassett