Who Do You Think You Are...? God ?

My son Andy made some wonderful comparisons between the relationship Yacob and his parents have with the relationship we have with God. (See his blog for his words…they really are good! Go to www.andyandbecky.com )

It reminded me of the relationship I have with my children and those around me.

and…

It got me thinking about how similar God and I are. Yep, God and I are a lot alike. After all, according to the writer of Genesis, I was made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26). So, there is part of God’s nature that is similar to my own nature. Me, in all my glory …sometimes I act like God, or at least I can claim that God acts like me.

You want evidence; look at some of those wonderful stories in the Old Testament, in particular, the stories in the Pentateuch. Look at how God displays God’s nature. Look at the conversations God has with people like Abraham, Joseph, and Moses.

I have spent the last few weeks reading Numbers. During the wandering in the desert, the people complain of eating nothing else but God’s gift of manna. The people wanted meat… so God says if they want meat, “I’ll give them meat. I will have them eat meat until it comes out of their nostrils”. (Numbers chapter 11). My response exactly. I am sure I used those words or something very similar on my kids on many occasions.

Later in chapter 14, the people grumble again and actually threaten to rebel. This really makes God angry and for the second time during the exodus, God threatens to strike the people down and start all over. Evidently, it was just not worth it. God says in essence, “in spite of all I have done, this is how they pay me back”. The people were just plain ungrateful. God told Moses that he would create a new people from Moses and the faithful remnant, a people who would really appreciate God. My response exactly. My kids acted ungrateful on many occasions, in spite of all that I did for them… I think that I threatened to sell them off or something of that sort.

It takes the arguing and cajoling of Moses to “calm God down” and “bring God back down to earth”. Moses tells God that if the people are destroyed, the Egyptians will hear about it, and “they will think poorly of You!” Gods’ reputation would be damaged. After all, God is supposed to be “slow to anger”. So God changed God’s mind. Hmm… sounds just like Kris and people at work have to do to me at times to keep me in line.

Then God responds to Moses, “I have forgiven them just as you asked”… My response exactly!

God goes on and says, “…but they won’t get to live in the land I gave them”… My response exactly!

So you can see that there are times in my life that I can act just like God… and I am sure there are those around me who would agree, or at least they would claim that I can act as though I am God, especially at work.

Not sure this is a good thing. I am pretty sure that God does not see me as too God-like. However, there are pieces of God nature that I really do strive to imitate or reflect. I heard a sermon on the radio a few months ago where the pastor said it is a compliment and should be a goal to be “mistaken for Jesus”.

“Hey, aren’t you Jesus” or “Hey, you’re acting just like Jesus”.

I really do want to imitate Jesus. I want to be gentle… to be serving… to be loving… to see the best in others… forgiving others…seeking and doing justice. But I would imagine that seldom my kids or those around me would mistake or accuse me of being Jesus. Think of the irony- me in all my glory…to be God-like but not Christ-like.

So, I guess at the end of the day, I simply pray that I have acted like Jesus…. but not that I acted too God-like.