‘“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”’
—Matthew chapter 16, verses 15–16
Who do we say that God is? How do we view each member of the Trinity—both as individuals and as One? Stop for a moment and reflect on that.
I reckon a lot of us would give God some sort of higher power and holiness, seeing as that is a fundamental aspect of the Christian faith.
So, if we give God such a great status, and acknowledge the supremacy of God over our lives, why do we not live accordingly? Too often we get so caught up in life and in whatever is affecting us in the moment that we forget the bigger picture; we lose sight of what all of this means.
Forgetting His place
We live our lives focused on who we want to be, what we want to do, and what we want to achieve. Sometimes this is gospel focused, sometimes this is devotion to family, sometimes it is striving for distinction as an individual.
Goals, dreams, desires—they are a great part of life and there is an abundance of motives to support them; none are intrinsically good or bad but complex and ultimately unique.
However, we can get so caught up in it that we forget about why we are here; we lose sight of the message Jesus came to tell and what the Bible keeps screaming in our faces. The universal message is of spreading the love of God and living in relationship with Him and each other. There is more to it than that but it branches out to personal levels from there.
We do not place enough importance on God’s place in this world and in our lives, nor upon His will. Even when we are doing His works we can lose sight of who He is.
Now I am not promoting the removal of the self and complete robotic adherence to God. What I am trying to say is, if we truly believed and lived our lives in acceptance and acknowledgement of who God is, would we be living how we are now?
A God who serves
We also tend to use God like a vending machine, only going to Him for each whimsical desire and expecting to be gratified because that’s how it works, right? God is just this big fella in the sky wanting only our happiness and fulfilling all our dreams and desires?
No. God’s purpose is not to be some Santa Clause figure that gives us what we want when we ask for it. He is far more than what we can even imagine, yet it is often only in times of need and desire that we remember Him.
Yes, ask for things sometimes. Also bask in His presence, worship, and listen for what He has to say, be it in His own voice, through His messengers or the Holy Spirit, or through the Word. Remember who He is.
It is true that God is looking out for us. He loves us coming to Him and asking Him for help, or for miracles, or even minor things that mean a lot to us. He treasures us and wants what is best for us, though that may not always look how we want it to. We have to trust that He knows and cares more than we do.
Our High and Mighty Friend and Father
God is relational. Even in the small excerpt between Peter and Jesus we can see two instances of relationship—of the Messiah talking with a friend and disciple and of a Father-son relationship. This is about intimacy and openness, of being free to go to God. We too are sons and daughters of His and can communicate openly with Him.
God’s superiority does not make Him untouchable, some extreme power that demands reverence and uses fear to dictate our lives, who wants nothing more than to use us as pawns in His greater scheme of things. It is a two-way relationship that demands acknowledgement of who God is and where we fit in the grand scheme of things, knowing that we are actually pretty significant and adored ourselves, but God is still higher.
Sabrina is a third year at University studying English and History. She has a passion for learning and creative writing with aspirations to one day become a high school teacher.
Sabrina Meyer's previous articles may be viewed at http://www.pressservice international.org/sabrina-meyer.html
Sabrina has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature and history. She has a passion for learning and creative writing with aspirations to one day become a high school teacher.Sabrina Meyer's previous articles may be viewed at http://www.pressservice international.org/sabrina-meyer.html