Right now high profile executives, government officials and celebrities are being advised what they should or should not do. You’ve got to believe that they bristle; “What am I, a puppet?” And there’s more than that. They have people deliberately keeping them "out of the loop," people who think, "I'll handle this myself.” And now that I think about it, it's not only high profile people who have handlers. We all have people who think they know what's best for us.
Are you a handler of God? Our fretting and worrying about what we should do is classic God handling. "No need to bother God with this. I'll take care of it myself.” Theologians and religious people can be classic God-handlers. Doctrinal pronouncements, even when true, can leave us imagining we know our God to a T. We’re simply following the disciples who repeatedly tried to handle the Son of God. "They were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant.” (Mark 10:13-14). I’d like to meet the person who doesn’t try to handle God.
When our youngest grandson Nick was a year-and-a-half, he’d toddle up to Opa and put out his arms to be picked up. A little child is pleased to be carried by an adult, but when we adults handle things ourselves, keeping God out of every loop, then we’re breaking the First Commandment, too big for our britches. “Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it. And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.” (Mark 10:15-16).
We all need trusted people to advise us, to help us take care of our business. Just don't become a handler of God; let God handle you.
Comments