Romans 9

Let me begin by apologizing for not blogging on Friday. It was one of those days that started at 5:30am and went past 11:00pm. I did read the Romans text when I got home, but my brain could not comprehend what I was reading. But we are back today with Romans 9.

Verse 20 "Who are you, a human being, to talk back to God?"

I have a friend who used to say to me "God created us in His image and we immediately returned the favor." He is a friend that is not afraid to speak the truth in love. When I need to hear that God is in control, not me, he is the one to say it.

We need to be reminded that God is in charge, not us.

One of the things that we are born good at it... and there is only a few (pooping, eating and crying) is our ability to talk back. Kids have a natural gift to drive their parents crazy. But eventually we all get to an age where there is no authority figure that we can talk back to... but we can always talk back to God.

A kid talks back to his parents because he doesn't like what they are saying, he thinks that he knows better. It is a struggle for control.

We struggle with God for control all the time. We think that we know what is best for us. We think we know what is best for God.

"God, if I got this job/boyfriend/house/car or if I got into _____ University or won the lottery then life would be great."

Sometimes we get those things and somehow life isn't great. So we ask for the next thing. We believe the myth that the next thing is going to change everything. But it leaves unfulfilled and looking for answers. A cycle of chaos.

Our lives are full of chaos. So much is beyond our control.

Genesis 1 tells a story about a world of chaos which is brought to order by God, day by day God works on the world until it is good.

The only way for life to be great is to let God bring order to your chaos.

It will be a process, day by day. The first step is the hardest, giving control to God. And in the end it probably won't look like what you were planning.

But it will be good.