I wandered into Lowe’s this week to see if I could find spring flower-bed bulbs on sale. It’s not too late to plant a seed today for a better tomorrow! But, I did not find bulbs; however, I did find a third of the store given over to Christmas sales. Welcome to America! We are deeply embedded with a cultural wiring, and our social location surely has imprinted our understanding of God and theology. It begins, when the Christmas gifts are unwrapped, and we proclaim, “this is mine.” The philosophy “this is mine” has found itself in most all areas of life in America. We want empowerment, and then want to control “our toys,” and many times “our salvation stories.”
This is seen in our faith stories. We want to own our spirituality. And, granted, there is a part of the story that we do control. But, as Joshua was getting ready to pass the leadership baton to the next generation, he sets the theological history straight. The fact was that the people came from a pagan background…they served other gods (Joshua 24:2). Then, in an incredible act of grace, God “took” Abraham, and brought him to a different place and time, both spiritually and physically. Our heritage has its roots in an act of God’s grace…it was God, and not Abraham that brought transformation. It was God who “gave” Abraham blessing (24:4). It was God who gave His people “struggles”(24:4) And, it is God who “delivered” and “protected” His people (24:6). Sacred history is God’s history, and not our history. It is a idol when we make ourselves the subject of our salvation…we are children of God because of God.
How do we respond to God’s actions in life? By affirming that all comes from Him: the favor and the challenges. By affirming that in the midst of favor and challenges that we will not waiver in worshipping God (24:15).
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