Tensions

Oh, the wonder of dynamic tensions. Such as one that I was thinking of as I wrote the post of my feelings about fierce independence from the the government. Because I am desperately dependent upon The Glorious Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for my every provision, salvation and redemption...my being kept in the one true faith...amongst an endless list of other things for which my family is completely dependent on God. I am as an infant. When an infant needs food, it cries. When it is in it's own filth it can only cry, when it wants comfort it can only cry. The list is seemingly endless. We are the same way before God.

Pride and self-will inside often rises up and says no, I am not dependent on anyone. I can do this myself. But when I stop to think - it is true, there is no human that I am dependent upon. Yet, I am completely dependent.

So, why not be dependent upon the govn't too, as a means of God's provision? Yes, it is true God may choose to provide that way, and we have much provided by the government. And it is the job of the government to do much in the way of providing. Like security, maintaining order, and generally providing justice. And they are instituted by God for our own good.

The danger I see is that we love finding security, and striving to provide ourselves with security everywhere we can other than in the Almighty God. We create for ourselves idols that we put our trust in. Also, our obsession with striving to provide security for ourselves often leaves little to no money left over for funding the Kingdom. How is this a God honoring way of using the resources He has given us. I am not saying that setting aside funds in a responsible, restrained way is bad, but rarely is this the situation in our culture. Also, it seems the tendency of our government is to continually control more of our personal lives and tap even more of our resources to fund more and more government, striving to usurp people's need. But people's thirst will never be satisfied until they drink from the Fountain of Life...Jesus Christ.

So, I am a desperately dependent person, fiercely independent of that other than Jesus Christ. Independent of the very leeches that would suck the life blood from us and make us idolaters: rebellion from God in the form of wrongly placed dependence/"security", thinking I am the truly free, self-determining provider for my own person, and the wrongly placed obsession with that instead of a steady gaze upon my glorious, wonderful Savior.

Clap your hands, all peoples!
Shout to God with loud songs of joy!
For the LORD, the Most High, is to be feared,
a great king over all the earth...
God reigns over the nations;
God sits on his holy throne.
The princes of the peoples gather
as the people of the God of Abraham.
For the shields of the earth belong to God;
he is highly exalted!
-Psalm 47 (excerpts) ESV